THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



295. 



that when using the bull-tongue for a 

 make-shift subsoil plough, he had to put a 

 heavy weight on the plough to make it 

 penetrate the hard stratum below the fur- 

 row of the large plough. His land, as you 

 know, is an alluvial deposit, abounding in 

 vegetable matter, rich loam, and sand. — one 

 of the deepest and richest alluvion soils 

 on the Ohio river. The result of his ex- 

 periment with the bull-tongue was favora- 

 ble, giving a better yield than the balance 

 of the field, where the large plough only 

 was used. 



When preparing a piece of pond land 

 for a premium crop of corn, a few years 

 ago, I had occasion to fill up, a tempora- 

 ry ditch, that had been made the year pre- 

 vious, and it so happened that a row of 

 corn was planted directly over the ditch, 

 which gave it a decided advantage over 

 any other row in the field,, the entire pro- 

 duct being at the rate of seventy-one 

 bushels per acre,. soil eighteen inches deep, 

 rich muck, or vegetable deposit, clay sub- 

 soil. 



The Rev. James Kelley,.of this county, 

 when digging a well, hauled sand from 

 near the bottom,, and filled up an old well 

 that had been part ially dug in his field by 

 the original proprietor, after which he 

 ploughed the field and planted corn. The 

 hills of corn planted in the pure sand, or 

 nearly so,, and directly over the old well, 

 gave an extraordinary yield, producing 

 ears twenty-two inches in length, at least 

 six inches longer than I ever saw, and 

 four longer than 1 eve? heard or read of. — 

 Query: Was this extraordinary result 

 caused by some mineral or other nutritive 

 qualities contained in the sand that came 

 from many feet below the surface ; or was 

 it the action of the rains and atmosphere,, 

 dissolving and rendering the sand soluble, 

 that it could be readily taken up -by plants, 

 or did the unusual depth of loose earth 

 induce the roots of the corn to extend 1 

 down to such, a depth as to a Ford a con- 

 stant and uniform supply of food and 

 moisture, even temperature, and a great 

 variety of dainties, to feast upon? 



Do not these results,, afiter making a 

 liberal allowance for the fact that simi- 

 lar causes produce different effects under 



different circumstances,. indicate that sub- 

 soiling will be beneficial even to our bot- 

 tom lands, Mr. Thomas to the contrary, 

 notwithstanding % H. N. G. 



Subsoiling is certainly a very good thing in 

 many circumstances ; where there is a deep 

 soil, it is absolutely necessary to obtain the full 

 strength of the ground. But where we have a 

 thin crust of loam over a subsoil of intracta- 

 ble clay,, we must not expect to receive much 

 benefit from deep ploughing, unless the earth 

 turned up be properly manured.. 



From the Cultivator;. 



PROPER CONSTRUCTION OF LIGHT- 

 |M"NING RODS. 



As the season is j^ist approaching in 

 which large quantities of hay and grain 

 are to be stored,, I wish to call the atten- 

 tion of your numerous readers to the im- 

 portance of protecting their barns by light- 

 ning rods. 



It is well known that the warm vapor 

 arising from newly filled bams, has a 

 strong affinity for electricity,, and on the 

 near approach of a thunder cloud, places 

 such buildings in imminent danger ; but 

 a prejudi.ee has arisen against the use of 

 conductors, from the. improper manner in 

 which they have generally been construct- 

 ed. When not rightly made and put up, 

 they are of no value In many cases they 

 may be even worse than useless. Foe in- 

 stance, if the points at the upper extremi- 

 ty are covered with rust, they will not an- 

 swer the purpose intended, because a me- 

 tallic oxide repels instead of attracting 

 electricity. If the lower end terminates 

 before reaching the ground, or penetrates 

 it but a short distance, the fluid is liable to 

 escape from the rod into the side of the 

 building, which being close at hand, offers 

 a better conductor than the air, or the dry 

 surface of the ground. 



For the information of such as may not 

 have given attention to this matter, % will 

 give the method of making and attach- 

 ing conductors, which has been tested by - 

 experiments, ar.d approved by men of 

 science. 



