I860.] 



THE SOUTHEEN PLANTER. 



397 



of fertilit}'^ : it would still want the organic 

 matter which we shall hereafter find per- 

 forming most important offices in the pro- 

 duction of plants. If the rocks have been 

 highly fossiliferous, more or less organic 

 matter may be already present; but the 

 supply soon begins to be collected from an- 

 other source. The new soil is soon provi- 

 ded with the seeds of grasses, herbs, and 

 trees of various kinds, from older lands ; 

 and such of them as find here their appro- 

 priate mineral food, soon germinate, take 

 root, and send out their blades and leaves 

 to collect carbonic acid from the air 

 while the roots themselves drink in the 

 same kind of nourishment from rain-water, 

 together with ammonia and mineral matter. 

 Many of the roots soon penetrate the lower 

 parts of the soil for many feet, whence they 

 draw up mineral substances, and send them 

 out in the sap, to be incorporated with the 

 organic food from the air, in the body, and 

 branches, and leaves of the growing plants. 

 As the grass, the weeds, and the leaves of 

 trees fall and decay upon the surface, they 

 leave a dark rich deposit of humus, to serve 

 as food for the same or other kind,s of 

 growth. In this way great quantities of 

 organic matter are often accumulated, form- 

 ing with the clay a deep, rich vegetable 

 mould. 



The mineral matter which once fed the 

 decayed leaves and grass, has not only been 

 increased in quantity near the surface, but 

 has also been so elaborated in the plants 

 through which it has passed, as to be now 

 in the best possible condition to afford nour- 

 ishment to subsequent crops growing upon 

 the same soil. 



The portion of soil which has thus be- 

 come enriched with organic and mineral 

 substances, is called the " surface-soil," and 

 is the part usually cultivated. The " sub- 

 soil" is the layer upon which the surface- 

 soil rests. It generally has but little or- 

 ganic matter in it; and, in the majority of 

 fields in our Southern and Western States, 

 it has never been disturbed by the plow. 

 On rolling lands which have been long un- 

 der cultivation, the surface-soil on different 

 parts of the same hill is generally more 

 uniform in its character than the sub-soil ; 

 because the loose material on the surface 

 becomes mingled, by the mechanical action 

 of the plow, rains, and frost; while the sub- 

 soil, having been less frequently disturbed, 



lies nearer to the rock from which it orig- 

 inated, and more nearly resembles it. 



The Poor Customer. 



A good lesson is taught in the following 

 sketch from the Boston Olive Branch: 

 " How much butter ?" 

 " One half pound, if you please." 

 " And sugar V 

 " Half a pound." 

 ''And these oranges?" 

 " Half a dozen, sir." 



" You go by the halves to-day. Well, 

 what else? Be speedy, ma'am, you're keep- 

 ing bett^ customers waiting." 



'' Half a peck of Indian meal, and one 

 fine French roll," said the woman ; but her 

 lip quivered and she turned to wipe away 

 a trickling tear. 



I looked at her straw bonnet, all broken, 

 at her faded shawl, her thin, stooping form, 

 her coarse garments, and I read poverty on 

 all — extreme poverty. And the pallid, 

 pinched features, the mournful, but once 

 beautiful flice, told me that luxuries were 

 not for her. An invalid looked out from 

 his narrow window, whose pale lips long for 

 the cool, fresh oranges, for whose comfort 

 the tea and butter, and the fine French roll 

 were bought, with much sacrifice. And I 

 saw him sip the tea, and taste the dainty 

 bread, and praise the flavour of the sweet 

 butter, and turn with brightening eye to 

 the golden fruit. And I heard him ask her, 

 kneeling by the smoky hearth, to taste them 

 with him. And as she set the broken pan 

 on the edge to bake her coarse loaf, I heard 

 her say : 



" By and by, when I am hungry." 



And " by and by," when the white lids 

 of the sufferer were closed in sleep, I saw 

 her bend over him with a blessing in her 

 heart. And she laid the remnant of .the 

 feast carefully by, and eat her bread un- 

 molested. 



I started from my reverie ; the grocer's 

 hard eye was upon me. 

 " You're keeping better customers waiting." 



Oh, I wanted to tell him how poverty and 

 persecution, contempt and scorn could not 

 dim the hearts of fine gold, purified by 

 many a trial, and that woman with her lit- 

 tle wants and holy sacrifice, was better in 

 the sight of God than many a trumpet- 

 tongued Dives, who gave that he might be 

 known of men. 



