THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 27 
will absorb this liquid, and render it quite inof- 
fensive to the olfactories of the nose. The di- 
rect application ot urine to the soil, alter the 
German practice, is bad economy, unless the 
soil contain a large portion of humus, or vege- 
table mold, for its tenacious retention. It is a 
better plan to have a reservoir filled with pound- 
ed ciiarcoal under the stable floor, oi near to 
the stable, into which the liquid excretions of 
all animals should be conducted like cider from 
the press. When nearly or quite saturated with 
urine, this coal will be manure of extraordinary 
power and durability — for nothing in the soil, 
but the roots ol growing plants, will be likely 
to extract a particle of this vegetable food. 
Alter wheat, corn, or grass has taken up all 
this nourishment, the coal (unlike 'ime, which 
has parted with its carbon’c acid in the same 
way) is insoluble in water, and remains, as in a 
filtering cistern, to absorb and hold, for ihe ben- 
efit of the growing plant, more vegetable food 
from every rain that tails to the earth. For be 
it remembered, that dew, rain and snow — the 
poo • man’s manure, bring back to the earth all 
the gaseous elements given off by all the fires, 
respiration, and other decomposition of solid 
and liquid matter. 
For the same reason, coal should be largely 
used in the formation of compost heaps. And 
where the farmer has straw which he can use 
to make beds for his horses and cattle in the sta- 
ble, this, with a quantity of coal pounded with 
a flail, can be spread ujTOn the stable floor, to 
absorb all liquid excretions. All these excre- 
mentious subsiances should be kept under shel- 
ter. Wood ashes, lime and muck, or vegetable 
mold, are valuable ingredients in all compost 
heaps. The coal stratum should be place 1 be- 
tween the lime and the manure, and the whole 
should be covered with turf or more coal. 
The analysis of soils abounding in fragments 
ot limestone rocks shows a marked deficiency 
of this important element in their composition. 
The reason of this perhaps unexpected defi- 
ciency I will now explain: 
Disintegratedlimestone is decomposed by the 
vital action of plants, and its carbonic acid is 
taken up by their roots. It will then combine 
with more of this gas which abounds in the air 
and soil, and will again give it out to growing 
vegetables. It is in this way that plaster (sul- 
phate ot lime) after it has parted with its oil of 
vitriol, often produces such wcndertul effects, 
although the amount applied is less than one 
forty thousandth part of the soil from which 
plants d aw their nourishmenr. The action of 
the sulphuric acid, as I understand the matter, 
I will not stop to elucidate. But I wish to fix 
public attention upon the circumstance, that 
when lime in the soil has parieu with its acid, 
whether sulphuric or caibonic, and especiallv 
the latter, it is soluble in water, and hence r^ery 
liable to be washed out of the soil by rains, &c. 
All water that has passed through a soil pos- 
sessing sufficient lime to be good wheat land, is 
hard, or holds lime in solqtion ot which it has 
robbed the soil. The same is true, in a less de- 
gree, with regard to leaching of the soil, and its 
loss of allumina, potash and soda. The culti- 
vation of the earth, without allowing any ve- 
getables to grow upon it, would exhaust its fer- 
tility very rapidly. 
The remedy for this is, to cultivate less land 
in grain crops, and cultivate it far better; to re- 
move all excess of water by draining ; to plow 
deep, and turn up to the sun virgin earth from 
below, and apply thereon manure, coal, lime, 
ashes and salt. Instead of applying large quan- 
tities of quick lime at distant periods, it is far 
better to apply a less quantity and often, to make 
up for the loss that occurs from its being dissolv- 
ed in water, and carried with it into rivers and 
the ocean. 
Leached ashes are valuable when applied to 
gr iss lands ; and are far from being worthless 
on wheat, rye, oats and barley— all of which 
need their silicate of potash, to give them a 
good, firm stem. Grass and wheat know as 
well how to convey the apparently insoluble ele- 
ments in leached ashes up into their organic 
structure, as did the trees from which these ash- 
es were obtained. D. L. 
Buffalo. Dec. 17, 1843. 
GARDENING. 
The season being at hand for gardening, we 
consider it our privilege as journalists to sug- 
gest a lew things in refbrence to the importance 
ol Te science as well as instruction on the first 
and most important operations. 
The history of gardening is most interesting 
in all its details, and for information on this 
subject we commend to the reader’s attention 
Loudon’s Encyclopedia, as containing more 
valuable information than all other works we 
have examined. In point of profit, no labor 
gives a better reward than that performed in die 
garden. Near large cities, extensive and in- 
dustrious c immunities make handsome sup- 
ports from ihe sale of vegetables and fruits. 
No famdy, scaicely, sufficiently appreciates 
the every day comforts, to say nothing of the 
luxuries, of the garden. Vegetables and fruits 
may give at least half a support to a family, 
and when it is considered they constitute the 
most healthful and agreeable diet, they become 
much more valuable. It should not be forgot- 
ten that the science of gardening is an intellec- 
tual employment of the higher order. Botany, 
geology, chemistry, vegetable physiology and 
entimology are intimately connected with its 
practices. 
Again, none but tho.se who cultivate the gar- 
den can estimate the pleasure accruing to those 
who spend a portion of their time in its opera- 
tions Them is not a seed, sprout, leaf, bud, 
flower, or particle of fruit that does not afford 
pleasure in an eminent degree. No marvel, 
indeed, our Heavenly Father should have se- 
lected a garden for the residepce of the first 
happy pair, and no wonder the most scientific 
of both sexes, throughout the civilized world, 
are charmed and delighted with the garden. — 
We will, however, not enlarge on this part of 
the subject. 
The operations of the garden shall next have 
our attention. 
1. The matter first to be studied is the loca- 
tion and character of the soil. For early vege- 
tables it is preferable to have a southern expo- 
sure. The morning sun brings forward plants 
much faster than the evening rays, and there- 
fore, \.'hen practicable, the land should incline 
to the southeast. For late roots, gooseberiies 
and currants, a noithern protection from the 
scorching rays of a mid-summer sun becomes 
necessary. The soil is of much moment. — 
Frequently there is a superabundance of clay. 
When tnis is the case, no application is better 
than sand, Pulv'erized charcoal is excellent on 
clay, (I have tried it.) When sand snpera- 
bounds, clay may be put on advantageously. — 
But for an unproductive soil, well rotted stable 
manure may be indispensable. Fresh mold 
from the woods has advantages over ail other 
application.s. It is freer from insects, and inju- 
rious seeds of weeds and grass, than stable ma- 
nure, and has no tendency to fire the plants. 
The most important point in a country gar- 
den, is to obtain a sufficient quantity of manure. 
In towns it is not so, and not unfrequently there 
is so much put upon gardens that neither vege- 
tables or flowers are good. There is little fear 
though to be anticipated on this score in our 
country gardens. To get enough vegetable 
mold is the important matter. This will cor- 
rect most evils of a soil. 
2. No time, should be lost ia spading the 
ground, and having it made ready for sowing. 
In our judgment, the more the soil is exposed 
to the frosts the easier it will be of cultivation, 
and the more abundant the crops. We think it 
no economy to plough a garden. Potatoes, 
beets, carrots, &c., may be cultivated as field 
crops, and then ploughing is preferable; but in 
the garden the spade, hoe, fork and rake, should 
be the chief implements. Land can be put in 
better state by one spading, than lour plough- 
ings, and when the plough is the reliance, we 
generally find it inconvenient to use it after the 
seed are sown, and the consequence is, too of- 
ten, the w.-'eds take entire possession. But 
whatever instruments are used, the soil should 
be thoroughly pulverized to a considerable depth, 
and always kept friable and free Irom weeds, 
which drink up the soul of the earth. 
3. The first preparations should be for early 
peas, radishes, lettuce ai d potatoes. The soil 
for peas should not be very rich in stable ma- 
nure. One-tbird of sand and two-thirds ol vege- 
table mold answer admirably. We call atten- 
tion also to another item in the cultivation of 
peas, whicli is not generally regarded. Com- 
monly, the drill is too deep and narrow for early 
peas. Raise ihe soil about four inches, and 
open a trench at least six inches broad, and scat- 
ter the seeds pleniifully over the whole. By this 
mode, the sun will have the greater effect; the 
rows wdll be broader; the stocks will mutually 
a.ssist each other; fewer sticks will be required 
for support; and the crop will be three or four 
times as great as in the ordinary plan. Early 
peas may be protected by planks or broad rails 
during freezes, and the sun should exert all his 
influence in the heat of the day. 
For radishes and lettuce, when not protected 
by gla.ss, open beds should be made. Their 
construction is simple and cheap. Mark off a 
bed the size wanted, take out from six to ten in- 
ches of the surface, and fill it two-thirds full of 
unrotted stable manure, old tan, or fresh leaves. 
Some eiglit or ten days afterwards, put on about 
six inches of good garden mold, rake it to a 
level, and the sowing mav commence the first 
open day. If cheap frames were put around 
such beds, and they could be covered with plank 
in bad weather, the plants would come forward 
a little sooner. 
Cabbage seed might be sown in the same 
manner for early crops. But in all these opera- 
tions, judgment, and many circumstances de- 
pendant upon the season, must of neces.sity have 
a contrary influence. 
Nashv'lle Agriculturist, 
EXPLANA'llON OF TERMS. 
(Conliiiued from page 191, Vol. 1 ) 
24. Rolat 'um of Crops — is a course of different 
crops, in succession, on the same piece of 
ground, for a certain number of years, after 
which the course is renewed and goes round 
again in the same order. 
There is a difference between a course of crops 
and a rotalion of crops. Thus, if a piece of 
ground in sward be broken np and planted with 
Indian, corn ihe first year ; the second year with 
potatoes; the third year sowed with oats and 
grass seed ; and mow'ed the fourth, fifth and 
sixth years — this makes a course of crops. — If, 
then, the seventh year, it be again broken up, 
planted as before, and the same course of crop- 
ping pursued, it becomes a rotation of crops. 
25. Soiling — is the feeding of cattle, either in 
the barn or yard, through the sqmmer, with nety 
mown grass or roots., 
26. Live Hedge — is a fence formed of living 
plants, usually the yvhite thorn, planted closely 
in rows, which, being tripimed annually and 
kept clear of weeds, in a few years grow into a 
living, permanent fence, capable ofstoppingef- 
fectually every kind of domestic animal. 
Most of the common farm fences in England 
are of this kind. 
27. Quicks — a name commonly giyen to the 
young plants of the white thorn used in planting 
hedges. 
28. Layeis — are the tender branches of trees 
and shrubs bent down and buried in the earth, 
leaving the tops out, in which situation they are 
fastened with hooks to prevent their rising. 
"The part in the earth sends out roots, after 
which it is separated from thy parent tree, and 
transplanted, in the same manner as trees rais- 
ed from the seed. 
29. Cuttings or Slips — are small portions of 
the twigs, branches or roots of trees or plants, 
cut off with a knife, or slipped ofiT with the thumb 
and finger, lor the purpose of setting or planting 
