Improvement of Sandy Soils* 
1 at 
some 40 acres of worn out sandy soil, in the 
vicinity of N. This field was purchased by 
Mr. C. some eight or ten years since for nine 
dollars per acre, while the fertile bottom 
lands on the other side of the town, would 
sell readily for $150 to $200. His ob¬ 
ject was first to get a crop of corn if possi¬ 
ble, and the land being too poor for this, he 
carried on to it a moderate quantity of peat 
or swamp muck, which was found in the 
low places on the same field. We may ob¬ 
serve in passing, this peat and muck exists 
to an almost unlimited extent throughout 
New England, and we consider it of vastly 
more intrinsic value to the community than 
all the gold mines that have dazzled the eyes 
of our Southern neighbors for the last fifteen 
years. With this dressing say of fifteen to 
thirty loads to the acre, the whole cost of 
which consists in simply digging and throw¬ 
ing into heaps, to be drained, and acted on 
by the atmosphere, after which it is carried 
either by carts or sleds in winter on to the ad¬ 
jacent ground; the land is then ploughed, and 
whatever scurf, sand grass, rushes, mosses, 
pusseys and briars there may be on the land 
are turned under, and such is the digestibility 
of the soil all these raw materials are at 
once converted into humus or geine as food 
for the required plants. This sandy soil has 
the stomach of an ostrich, and if it cannot, as 
that voracious biped has the credit of doing, 
digest old shoes, iron spikes, and junk bottles, 
it can dissolve and convert into vegetable 
chyle, whatever organised matter is given to 
it. The effect of this comparatively slight 
dressing yielded a first crop of some thirty 
bushels of corn to the acre, enough to pay 
for the first cost of the land and the whole 
expense of producing it. But while the corn 
was growing, say from the 20th July to the 
10th August, rye with red and white clover 
seed was sown, and the corn being so plant¬ 
ed as to admit of harrowing two ways, or 
even four if necessary, it was well got in with 
the harrow, and the ground being amply 
protected by the corn during the sultry wea¬ 
ther of this season, the new seed took a vi¬ 
gorous start, and as soon as the corn was 
somewhat matured, it was cut and carried 
off the ground, and the new growth then had 
the entire possession. The roller was then 
thorougly applied, as also in the following 
spring. The early sowing gives strength to 
the roots of both rye and clover, and renders 
hazard of winter killing either, especially 
the clover, much less. When from any cause 
he is prevented from sowing the clover early, 
it is omitted till early in the following spring ; 
a postponement that should be avoided when 
possible, as it thus loses a year’s time, requir¬ 
ing another season to mature. The rye is 
cut the following summer, when the clover is 
suffered to remain, shedding it's seed upon 
the ground for a successive crop. The fol¬ 
lowing season; if in proper condition, it is 
again put into com or rye according to its 
fertility, and the course is again renewed. 
The land however usually requires an addi¬ 
tional season in clover, and sometimes more 
to give, the requisite fertility. Mr. C. showed 
us a field, which from the originally poor con¬ 
dition described, without the addition of any 
manure or peat or muck, has produced him 
five crops in seven years, the last, which had 
but just taken off, yielding seventeen bushels 
to the acre. This it will be readily admitted 
is a large crop for poor land, and much be¬ 
yond the average yield in New England. 
The growth of the clover on this field, of 
this spring’s sowing, was promising in the 
highest degree, and -as evenly set as in the 
best land, giving every promise of a large 
crop the next season, which of course is de¬ 
signed to be added to the soil for its future 
improvement. When the land is first put into 
use, (for Mr. C. has several other similar 
fields which have been variously treated, 
though always on the same principles,) and it 
is too poor to produce a paying crop of corn, 
and he has not time to add the muck, he 
turns under the surface vegetation, and puts 
on a crop of rye always accompanying this with 
the clover and after one year’s crop from this 
last, he never fails in a fair yield of corn. On 
a field thus treated, without any dressing of 
muck he got 27 bushels of corn per acre 
for the first crop, and after an interval of ano¬ 
ther season, obtained thirty-three bushels on 
the same land, showing a decided increase in 
the productiveness of the soil. A slight dres¬ 
sing of plaster is generally, though not al¬ 
ways used, and never exceeds half a bushel 
to the acre. Mr. C. admits that more plaster 
might be useful; we think one to two bushels 
per acre would be applied with decided ad¬ 
vantage, but it is purchased at a high price, 
about $10 per ton, and as economy and a 
self sustaining policy, has been a prominent 
principle in this system, this is all that has 
thus far been afforded. The muck would in 
all cases be a valuable, remunerating addi¬ 
tion, but this he has not always the time to 
give, and at the prices he has paid for his 
land, he can afford to leave it once in two or 
three years in clover, by which it is renovat¬ 
ed, and for the present perhaps this may be 
the most judicious plan. As lands become 
