Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 341 



tlie very best way to prevent steep land from losing its soil by washing ; 

 for if the soil is thin and the clay is hard, more of the water wliich 

 falls upon it will run oif and operate to carry the soil and clay with 

 it; but the deeper the clay is loosened, more of the water which falls 

 on it is retained and absorbed by it. When the ground is covered 

 with grass, as it alwaj's should be When not otherwise in cultivation, 

 the grass will protect the land from injury by water flowing over it. 

 A soil that has a large constituent of sand, or is based on sandy 

 ground, cannot be plowed too deep. Every kind of soil, however 

 solid or heavy, is comparatively lighter than sand or clay ; and these 

 latter, though they may be brought b}'- the action of the plow to the 

 surface, will, because of their greater gravity, in process of time, fall 

 again and get below the soil ; and the cultivation of the land, frost 

 and water will aid them in falling below it. We should be instructed 

 by nature in this matter, and respect her arrangement of soil, clay, 

 etc., in their order of strata, as she has done. To turn under a crop 

 of vegetation is only to assistant'her in its decomposition and con- 

 version to soil. Of all the components of the ground, clay is the 

 most compact, and will retain water tlie longest. Sand is the most 

 porous, and is least able to retain water ; soil is the most spongy. 



Special Fertilizers with Wheat. 



Mr. J. W. Yanderen, Niagara county, N. Y., asks the -club about 

 the use of salt, ashes, and plaster with wheat. 



Mr. S; Edwards Todd. — There can be no doubt as to the use of 

 ashes and plaster on wheat fields. Salt is still a mooted question. 

 John Johnson has found out that salt is good for his farm ; every 

 cultivator must find that out for himself ; no general rule can be given. 

 But the management of Mr. Y. is not the best. He should have 

 put his salt, ashes and lime on grass and potatoes and kept his yard 

 manure for wheat. Salt and ashes come a great deal nearer being a 

 special dressing for potatoes than for wheat lands. But Mr. Y. sliould 

 not think of taking two wheat crops in succession from any land in 

 Niagara county. The beit wheat growers in New Jersey and 

 Pennsylvania never attempt it. Wheat wants nitrogenous manure. 

 You can find at in barn-yard compost and also by plowing under 

 clover. Wheat lands sliould be limed, but wheat is not much of a 

 lime consuming plant. The best system for Mr. Y. and all the 

 western New York farmers is to get their lands as rich as they can 

 by the use of lime and ashes, and peat and salt, and then turn under 



