308 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
and badly pulverized they are forced to the surface and are 
thus too much exposed to the the vicissitudes of the 
weather. In deeper soils they have a wider range of pas- 
turage and are not so much exposed to the alternations of 
hot and cold — wet and dry, 
2nd. U permits a freer access of air to the soil. There is 
a constant disintegration going on in the soil; a breaking 
down and pulverizing of the parts which have been turn- 
ed up from below, when the soil is made of rocky matter 
decomposing in situ. By this means fresh materials of 
value are added and new elements introduced. To hasten 
and carry on this process the oxygen of the air is neces- 
sary, and the more freely it is supplied the more rapidly 
it goes on. A good supply of air is also necessary to car- 
ry on the fermentation and decomposition of any compost 
manures which may have been applied. 
3rd. It c2lov)s the freer passage of the small rootlets, which 
permeate the soil and ramify in every direction, more than 
through hard and compact ground. 
4th. It perynits of an easy passage to rain icater, which, 
in a wet season, would collect on the surface and stagnate. 
Nothing is more injurious to vegetation than stagnant 
water, whether lying on the surface, or in'the water sobbed 
soil. It arrests ventilation of tlie land, clogs the roots and 
stem with deleterious matter, scalds the tender roots un- 
der the burning mid-day sun, and chills them at night 
from excessive evaporation. 
On the other hand, by the free passage of rain water 
downwards, the roots are supplied with carbonic acid and 
ammonia, two gases highly important to vegetation. 
5th, In time of d.routh it affords a passa^ge upwards of 
the moisture from below, and thus furnishes a supply when 
it is most needed. This moisture which comes from be- 
low holds in solution more or less of soluble earthy matter 
which is needful to the plant; and that portion which is 
not used by the growing plant is left in the soil as the 
water holding it in solution rises to the surface and evapor- 
ates. 
Thus, in one word, deep plowing gives air to the roots 
and to the soil, allows a freer pasturage to the young 
roots, lets off superfluous water from above when there is 
excess, and permits the rise of moisture from below when 
there is deficiency ; and if any further argument is needed, 
let any one look around him this dry season and note 
how the deeply plowed and the shallow crops have fared, 
and then, pencil in hand, make the calculation how much 
he might have saved by incurring the additional labor 
and expense of deep plowing. R. 
South Carolina, Sept., 1856. 
coNsrrnjTioN of the “beech island farmers’ 
CLUB,” OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 
Article 1. — The name of this Club shall be the 
Beech Island Farmers’ Club,” and its time of meeting 
shall be the first Saturday in every month, at 10 to 11 
o’clock, at the Club House. 
Art. 2 — The officers of the Club shall be a Chairman, 
to be appointed at each meeting, and a Secretary and 
Treasurer to be appointed annually. The Chairman be- 
sides presiding over the meeting shall select and propose 
some subject connected with agriculture for discussion at 
the meetiug next ensuing, and appoint some member to 
open the debate. The duty of the Secretary shall be to 
keep a list of the names of the members, and record the 
proceedings. The duty of the Treasurer shall be to receive 
and disburse the funds and to report annually or oftener 
if required by the Club. 
Art. 3, — The Chairman shall call on every one pre- 
sent for his opinion on the subject under discussion, but 
no one shall speak longer than 15 minutes or oftener than 
twice withou permission of the Club, and not a second 
time until after all have been called on. 
Art, 4. — Every member of the Club will be expected 
to take at least one agricultural paper and also to try at 
least one agricultural experiment each year and to report 
the same, in due time, accurately and mmutely to the Club 
in writing. 
Art. 5. — No person shall be admitted as a member of 
this Club if there are two opposing votes. All Clergymen, 
School-masters and Editors of agricultural papers shall be 
considered Honorary Members. 
Art. 6. — Each member shall be entitled to invite one 
person to a meeting of the Club, but no person residing 
within ten miles of the place of meeting, in this State, 
shall be invited. 
Art. 7. — Each regular member shall pay five dollars 
annually in advance for the support of the club, but each 
member joining for the first time at or after the April 
meeting shall be required to pay in advance at the rate ot 
fifty cents for each meeting from the time of joining to the 
end of the year. 
Art. 8. — At the December meeting in each year, 
twelve members shall be appointed by the Chairman by 
ballot or by a Committee, as the members present may 
determine, whose duty it shall be to provide a Barbecue 
for each of the twelve ensuing meetings — each member 
one barbecue. The meeting, for which each shall pro- 
vide, to be settled by lot or any way the selected mem- 
bers shall agree. The members thus designated shall be 
exempt from the regular annual contribution for the sup- 
port of the club, and shall also receive from the club in ad- 
dition five dollars for each Barbecue. 
Art. 9. — The members providing Barbecues are strict- 
ly prohibited from furnishing any article purchased with 
money, except ice. 
AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENT IN EDGEFIELD, 
SO. CA. 
The Edgefield Advertiser of recent date has the follow- 
ing paragraphs: 
The Cattle Show. — About two weeks since our town 
was excited no little by the sudden appearance of two 
brag bills, of two of our brag stock raisers, viz: Col. 
Pickens and Col. Frazier, regularly caprisoned and pit- 
ted against each other, and each owner perfectly san- 
guine of bearing off the prize (a silver cup.) 
A crowd of interested spectators, divided half and half 
in their estimates of the fine points of these two noble ani- 
mals, were immediately on the ground, and rendered it 
difficult for the judges to please the majority. Col. F.’s 
Bull was a full Devon and was well backed by a large 
number of our best lovers of fine stock. Col. P.’s Bull 
was a grade Durham with a cross of Brahmin, and for 
his age was certainly well developed and handsome, 
and had many admirers. 
The decision of the judges after poising and undulating 
for a long time amidst the anxiety of the spectators, final- 
ly turned the scale in favor of Col. Pickens’ Bull ; and 
he went off bellowing with the cup, to the great conster^ 
nation of the majority of the crowd, and especially of Col. 
Frazier. 
Col. F. also exhibited some superior specimens of half 
Devon stock, also a full Devon heifer, and some grade 
Durham stock that will do credit to any show. 
Another superior full Devon bull was also exhibited. 
Col. P., exhibited some fine specimens of grade Ayreshire 
stock, which, taken all together, was a cattle show that 
was hard to beat. 
Swine Show. — Here Col. Frazier and Col. Pickens 
again were the main and only contributors in this show 
of the best lot of stock hogs. 
Of course they put themselves to the trouble of select- 
