148 
SEm-TROriC! r. IUFOUNTA. 
th« HirfftCe, au.t .iHRci'iidinff Hti.ll«ki0ff u ti. and kindred odenot-a. FI. 
jtirm bold upon tho noil? Wo can nlw Wl|«n n portion of soil ,s .Jr«r 1 . .ir. fully 
SOIL CULTIVATION 
FROM A PBAOTtCAI, AND BCIKNT1FIO BTANI1F01M . 
Bt O. II. CoNOXIt. 
Khitoii* SiAU-Tiiiiriq The unaoltlod 
question of deep plowing vorau* thorough 
cultivation Iiuh uol, perhaps, received mo 
general attention, by the tillers of tlio soil, 
ns it* merits deserve. 
Turning up to tint surfaco tin rich sub¬ 
soils of impoverished ••min lauds, is un¬ 
questionably of greet bollolit to tin- antici¬ 
pated crops, bul not wilb a cm responding 
assurance can wo assume that equol bcuo- 
lit may noenio, or that it is even a nmssil i 
under any eirminislnne,-*, to the ureliaid 
grouuds. It nan not well lie denier], Unit 
the former in yearly becoming exhausted, 
while, on the cunt rttry, till latter is annually 
receiving the benefit of fulling leaven and 
other accumulations of waste about the 
trees, that is gradually being transformed 
into plant-food, and, moreover, is but 
slightly taxed for tin) support of tin- tree, 
comparatively speaking; bunco we need bl¬ 
ind little concerned about the immediate 
exhaustion of this surface Boil, if not too 
early washed away by excessive irrigation. 
But Mr. Charles ('oh man, jr., of Pomona, 
in referring to my article on deep plowing, 
etc., in (be Juno number, IioKIh to some¬ 
what different views, and advances the idea 
that deep plowing is a ucce.-„ity. for two 
important, reasons, vie. First, to enable 
him to tour invuy all of the Burfaci roots 
to within ten or twelve inches of tin- mr 
face; and, secondly, that tho soil may be 
able belter to retain mo in! urn, 
111 Hiiyn; ” My aim in not to allow u rr„.t 
to grow within ten oi twelve, in. lies of the 
surface. Pray, of what permanent good 
arc they to tho tree?" And nowhere docs 
he tell lie the age of his tree or the- cliaiac- 
b i of tin) noil in which tiny arc growing, 
two essential factors to bn tnkoti into ac¬ 
count We all know that theyoung orange 
lice will m.iuifcut wonderful vigor in rich 
soils, for a fmv years almost oblivious of 
t lie common abuse of root and tup pi lining. 
But it is in it* adult ugr that wo ure to 
anticipate the great damage of so unnatural 
a treatment, morn than will be observed at 
pii Hen*, Contrary to tlm loo oomrnun I 
idea, i, plant or true should lie regarded ns 1 
nn individual. demanding uvilam natural 
condition h for supplying itself ivifeli appro- j 
iniate food, and for ptu|-use* of m.nmitii- 
l, ot«; nibteud of a thing in nature to lie 
molded at will into whatever caprice oi 
folly may suggest. 
No whsii', HI q.aisely limb, red locali 
tn a, do w« find the giant oak ur II... slab 
di r pine wanting in n complete net-work 
of both Inigo and amoll snrfuci ro «b. 
He y have an important functlolu to no 
lurin, not only as fno.l-gutlu r, rs. but as 1 
jnccliaumul Hilppm Is to the le,,,, Who 
ha- not observed the habit of the polnot, 
■vy, he trumoat cron per, and even the 
aerial roots of tho conmum com slnlk, 
cmdli-I from the atom •-, ver.d inch, above 
is 
in 
in 
• mention, tut peihnps a more atrikibg illu* over ladling water, or in an or.., and 
iration of tins subject, tin- Imbit of the then spread out upon a In et of im, ,, 
| Pandunwx or «CMW-pina, often vulhvutcd the open air.it Will gradually drink 
in consorvidorio*. its appearance being as watery vapor from the „»m,»q.lm.< 
though pari tally lamed out of the ground, «ill Ihn* increase ,u weigh! In l,.,i 
" Imbit of omitting strong .I in mat* and in dry WMona, thia proi.,.. 
the optin air from tho lower part of the 1 „f great importsn, ,\ restoring ,, u ,j,„s 
; trunk, ori.l descending lo the toil. Vml i„ //„• do, *>,f, and bring,ng w ul.ie |i,. : 
vory Mmilnr is also tlm ccurimriy of Ihn rcimli „f pl,int«. ,i. pnrti, o of th. i„o. 
■ Wiao/i/iorfl mi imp It or mangrove Ireo, tho which during the day they bad $<> t u ,i v 
I famoiib banyan Iree of India; and almost [ pahaiail, 
countless others might be umntiomal, if; Different -oils p.,,-e-. Lhi- p, j (i 
ni*iCNi?ary In establish (Ins natural tendency m, equal ,|, Daring 
in toeo baoii mi .,,,fact roots nri ns i, mi 
much mediums for circulating the sap uf j jjig t... Sc.hncbl.ir, ..Ihon-und pmin I- , ( 
tlm Iron nn tlm still more exposed trunk , n snry f, .,,,| W ill gain .. . . . I o , „ 
ami li'lives, and beside* alt on Id be retained ; pounds of water. Fertile -.,1- 0 < 
, as mechanical nuppnrla to tlm tree, if de- possexa this pruimrlrin rerv • a, , I. r ,blo 
, moil all other functions. It might be re- dagrec This, In fiirllmi ,• - .IT , U , . 
gardi-t nliuoxl ns reasonable to diweet; means of jndgiu ' of tlo-ir ».-! ,n>. ,,,i 
nwny the hltle ribs ur veins ramifying I hr cultural capabilities \ ,in I, 
tiny leaf, owsontinlly the snppoil to it-s fnrtlmr illustration „f ih. um.|., .| , „v 
dchoftto oellulai tissue, a« their cmintm p, m «,. w ,„| bv tlm different soil--t,, absorb 
part, Ihn great surface-root frame-work ; and retain water, that from nr hundn d 
and mechanical brimi m of tho atcru and and si* pounds of ilrv soil, v, .t. , .,l!l, 
boH. 1-1 omi a ph.v Biological id midpoint alao, gin to drop, if it be . .. . ,,|„„ ,t 
butli must be regarded as indisjmnsablc I 
Urn vital economy of the tree. 
We arc led to inf,', from the well settled 
eonelinuom* of accepted authorities, that 
tho entire oxtcrnal mirfacn of the plant or 
tree, from the topmost leaf to tlm last do 
neading spongiole, is uusonptihlo uf per 
forming » multitmlo of functions. That 
the draioending radical has it:: primary nud 
secondary diitie-i hi ilmchiuge, running 
nwny from the light, extrema heat, m 
cold, us may bo, HQ to spenk, while the 
lias ubsorbial '2. r i pounds; rnleurcoiin sand, 
29 pounds; lunmy Roil, 4'i pounds, clay 
loam, fit) pounds, pure day, 70 
But u dry, peaty rod vrill nb., 11 , a very 
inimli larger proportion In-fore it suffers 
any r to emexpo. Thu inorti water *hc >,■ ii 
contains within it« pores, tho more it has 
to part with by nib'iqnent evaporation; 
and, there/nro, the i;Jilrr it js like 1> to be, 
I’lm presence of this Water also cvdudm, 
the inr in u great degno, mi tbit f. i tlo-i 
as well as for oilier rcnwon*. it is ib simble 
» ( # II > I I o • I "I o VI 1 ' 'IIS I | 
laleiuls, putting out, from tlm very siirfuce ! to afford every facility for (be speedy r< 
ul the ground, nml at intnrvnU iu its down • movul of the r\rr-s of water fioiu -m h 
ward course, seek other OOJffTiliotiS to Meet soil* as absorb it, and arc . ,,pable of . . 
Iio in ur-growing demand of tlm more! uioing it j„ „ v «v Un ,- pro,u>rtio„ 
beanldul and crowning porlion above tlm Crucially speaking tlm . • ,..U »)„. I, are 
mi.fimc, Can it be possible (hat capable of nm-sloig control,,eg tlo 
requires uo other support than the slender 
and spongy runts a fool nr niore henenlh 
Ilm surl/mo, during n gale nf wimlY I he 
lievo the tree ia tlm hotter judgn of ihine 
tlm,r-, which miiM bo iiduiitled «,■ are m 
cupalrlc of Hiieces'dully coiili-uvei ting Tlm 
queshon uf greater liability to diauase, 
which may, mi time, follow tins trenlnn ul, 
might In' dismiss,ul; fur it is hardly to be 
expected tliul roots Will Hat cuntinmillv 
Min nut Iff no the umlei ground portion of 
hugest porlion of ibo rain that falls, re¬ 
tain il also with the greatest obstinacy, 
and bike the longed Utu< to dry. Thus*a 
sand will become as dry in one hour as a 
Port clay in Ilm i , or ,i pi., i of p. it in 
foul hours Thin, tin refon . not only .\- 
plains and •'linyts the imiii > I ur -' of the 
well known ilistmclioiiH of ><,jr lu .d , f 
s.uli, but exhibits allot her Hlr'iiig m am, id 
in favoi of u perfect drainage . t stiff soils 
poi lmn of , and of *uch an cuiiUm o |%igc pniunitmu 
.Many very * • 
proiiiiaiug orange tuna are grown from To illi.st. ,(e the powei of c.pilU.y at 
i traotlon, pour w«tvr mtu tin vole I a 
tlnwfi pot, the -iul gradually sucks it in 
Ihe trunk, si,,,il,uto a.lulling .Many very j of decay,.,,; m,.Iter 
• t • -’ii 
millingM, lew wo all know. 
Ilm pi 
urlilb'iully am.lii.il, or l-muglil to tlm sm 
fiico by uapilhtiy all,action, I must at,,,, 
duiugn e with Mi ( uleiiinn to a eert mi. . 
teio JluHi ioi, elnirarlei of soil pdglit 
render it huumliMitt in making an nnqiiali 
lied slftlemrilil, V lonwi , nailily , gniwll\ 
soil may be considered ua alnaidv too pm 
-o, I., retain water vary near the H.„f„c, «ap d.le of at i... Ui ,.„re, v„ 
uuy Icngil, of l,m. hence ,1. .,, plnwiti; o, c.rKmn , • I, u„ I „llmi. *•. ntial 
su.l, a Moil w<ili hi sum u-, h -a for I bin tb a t t|, e tn, .on.binllv i.qnii.-, .ml 
pini-os,, alone Hut here let r,m ref. i ||,„ nl.id, to a i-. itnin n»t.ut me luown t-, 
r.ii.le, to I rot. lames F \\ Julmab«, a tat, „ up by tie I , thv- I 
Htuiulaid authority on agricultural chentu > ,„uv oil,.a equally impoiUut 
klld e 
o Willi 
the vv. 
lit 
)I •* 
outaitif d 
Ul 
the 
»Ubsci|| 
•d i'.. 
field*; 
it 
b* 
drawn ,,| 
, p, 
i in* 
nil f ac 
) by th. 
• same j 
MM 
Vt'l 
.but wli»> 
n (, 
1 ,He 
< nt in 
(f^lllllllt, 
the, «•* 
1 “ 
n»r 
-y action. 
a» 
II l« 
called, 
keeps 
till' V: 
"1 
al 
W l, s on-, 
d 
nud 
cold. 
Not. .a 
ilv Hic 
tl 
II'M 
' Wit SOI 
Is ,'l 
aid. 
but wl 
lilt* in 
that r> 
*!| 
diti 
mu they 
are 
in- 
