10 © 
Improvement of Sandy Soils—Southern Tom 
consequently, is precisely adapted to correct the 
mechanical deficiencies of sand. Like lime and 
alumina, it has the power of condensing ammo¬ 
nia from the atmosphere which it retains in its 
pores, till, demanded by the catalytic power of 
the growing plants. This is an operation 
which the farmer should of all others endeavor 
most to promote, and if he can but keep his soil 
in the condition in which it will appropriatedhe 
fertilising properties abounding in air and dews, 
he will add fertility to his products, without the 
expense of furnishing too large a portion of 
this food in solid manures. In addition, a top 
dressing of common salt, nitrate of potash , 
(saltpetre) and dry sulphate of soda,* and va¬ 
rious other more expensive articles may be used, 
if they can be afforded. If lands can have the 
benefit of irrigation from a constant stream, the 
effect (in connexion with some of the above,) 
will be instantaneously perceived, and espe¬ 
cially if charged with some of the fertilising 
salts as they frequently are; or indeed in such 
cases, they perhaps will come filled with all 
the necessary ingredients for producing a high 
state of fertility. 
With one or more of these ingredients to be¬ 
gin with, a proper system of cultivation should 
at once be commenced and rigidly followed out. 
If the applications made are not sufficient to en¬ 
sure permanent fertility, which they cannot be 
unless by irrigation with the right material; or 
it be not economy to add other manures in pre¬ 
ference ; enriching crops should be sown, and 
when nearly or quite matured, should be turned 
in, to be succeeded by others at proper intervals, 
so as fully to maintain, or what is better, to 
increase the capability of the soil. For 
this purpose, any vegetation will not come 
amiss; but the most suitable are clover, buck¬ 
wheat, rye, oats; and if these are fed upon 
the ground, nearly all their benefit will be 
yielded to the land, at the same time that they 
have afforded no inconsiderable support to the 
stock of the farm. All manures should be 
carefully husbanded and applied; all the stock 
that can be sustained on the premises should be 
kept, and especially sheep; and the roller f 
should always be used to give as much firm¬ 
ness and compactness to the surface as possible. 
* Glauber salts is precisely the same chemical composition 
as dry sulphate of soda, with the exception, that the former has 
an addition of rather more than half its entire weight of water, 
(55 or 56 per cent.) which gives to it the crystalline form. 
The dry sulphate of soda can be purchased in New-York for 
about one cent a pound, and at this price, we have no doubt, 
in the neighborhood of vegetable markets, it would affort a most 
judicious and remunerating top dressing. It should be applied 
in May or early in June. 
t Hon. Wm. Clark, of Northampton, Mass., has recently sent 
us an excellent article on the above subject, which appeared 
in the N. E. Farmer. His views are sound and correct, and 
many of them based on his own experiments. The use of the 
roller, he considers of prime necessity in the proper cultivation 
of light soils, and both reason and experience fully corroborate 
his views. 
A proper rotation is essential to successfu. 
cultivation of light soils, unless it be required 
to keep them in meadows, in which condition 
they are soon liable to become foul, and this 
always require a thorough breaking up again. 
The rotation may vary with the variety of crops 
required. We shall give hereafter such as are 
adapted to the different latitudes of this country; 
and with such as are suited to the location, tho¬ 
roughly carried out, and the products consumed 
on the soil, or returned to it in the manures af¬ 
forded in their consumption, or, an equivalent 
for them if the crops are taken from the farm, 
the soil will be constantly improving. The salts, 
and the proper composition of the soils, are the 
first things to be acquired. These once in opera¬ 
tion the crops will draw largely from the 
atmosphere and the rains and dews, the or¬ 
ganic materials required, and carbon, oxygen, 
nitrogen, and hydrogen will be rapidly accumu¬ 
lated to fill up the vegetable skeleton, with the 
flesh and fibre and fluids. These if again 
given to the soil with the consumed products, 
afford increased fertility and like interest com¬ 
pounded, will greatly enhance the future pro¬ 
fits of the diligent and skilful farmer. We 
would recommend a series of experiments on a 
small scale, to be tried by each farmer for him¬ 
self, with such materials as if found successful 
may be profitably applied. These are his 
only sure guides. Principles he can get from 
books, their application and adaptation, can 
only be made by himself, and as soil varies 
through every successive acre over the face of 
the globe, the salts or mineral manures most 
perfectly adapted to any given field, can be 
known only to the cultivator himself. But 
we have occupied so much room on this sub¬ 
ject already, we must forego any further ob¬ 
servations at present, but will refer those de¬ 
sirous of additional information to the various 
items bearing on this matter, that will appear 
from time to time hereafter. R 
Tonr 03 * tise Mississippi. 
We were never so strongly impressed with tho 
mighty resources of our country, as we have 
been since floating down the Mississippi, and 
stopping occasionally, and making excursions 
into the interior. It is a land, the resources of 
which, in an agrieultura- point of view, can be 
hardly overrated, and with our present careless 
mode of cultivation* this valley, embracing as we 
do in the appellation, all west of the Alleganies, 
is capable of supplying a population of at least 
one hundred millions of people. Taking the 
whole of the Mississippi into consideration, it 
is grander than any river in America, and we 
might add with perfect truth* in the whole 
