34 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
and get the whole 50 bushels in the two crops, 
even though the soil should be exhausted at 
the end of two years instead of five. 
The discussion of the remaining three 
classes of foreign manures will be continued 
in our next. 
For the American Agriculturist, 
OH THE IMPORTANCE OF THOROUGHLY PUL¬ 
VERIZING THE SOIL. 
The importance of thorough tillage, of ef¬ 
fectually pulverizing the soil under cultiva¬ 
tion, so far as it can conveniently be done, 
is not sufficiently appreciated. It is not sup¬ 
posed that rocks can be crushed or boulders 
and pebbles disintegrated ; but earth plowed 
when wet, and left like brick to bake in the 
sun’s heat, can and should be pulverized to a 
perfect mold, before entrusted with seed or 
a remunerating crop expected. 
Corn planted upon an uncovered rock will 
not grow, and the reason is obvious, there is 
no soil to shield its tender roots from the 
scorching effects of the sun, and yield it 
moisture and nourishment. Planted in a 
soil, composed one half of coarse gravel or 
hard baked clay lumps, and the other half of 
fine earth or loam, it will grow and ripen 
grain ; but the drouth will curl its leaves, its 
growth will be less luxuriant, and the yield 
about one half, all things the same, as it 
would have been if planted in a soil wholly 
composed of a fine rich loam. Hence the 
inference is just, that a soil only half pulver¬ 
ized or composed one half of coarse pebbles, 
is only half way removed from rocky ster¬ 
ility. 
Fertility depends very much upon the pul¬ 
verized condition of the soil and the fineness 
of its component particles. The finer the soil 
the greater is the relative surface which that 
soil presents to the roots of plants, and the 
power which plants possess of deriving from 
the earth their requisite nourishment, is in¬ 
creased in the same proportion. 
It has been said that “ the most productive 
soils have the greatest absorptive power for 
moisture.’' The absorptive, as well as the 
retentive power of soils, is in exact propor¬ 
tion to the fineness or pulverent condition of 
their component particles. A rock or a 
baked mass of unpulverized earth, derives no 
moisture from a damp atmosphere, or from 
the dews of night. Dampness may gather 
upon their surface, to be evaporated again 
into the atmosphere by the first rays of the 
morning sun. Not so with finely pulverized 
earth, which imbibes the dew and the mois¬ 
ture from a damp atmosphere, and holds it in 
reserve for the roots of plants as they may 
desire. 
Every farmer knows that the alluvial soils, 
in valleys and bordering rivers, are the most 
productive and inexhaustable ; that with the 
same culture they will stand drouth better, 
and yield heavier returns, than the surround¬ 
ing uplands. The reason of this is • mainly 
attributable to the fact, that such soils are 
not only composed of a happy blending of 
organic and inorganic elements, but, being 
washed down from surrounding elevations, 
are of the uneaqualed fineness and disinte¬ 
gration. 
I have said that a soil half composed of 
coarse gravel and stones, was but half way 
removed from rocky barrenness. Every 
farmer knows that such soils require almost 
an endless quantity of manure, frequently 
repeated, and extra tillage, to produce from 
them remunerative harvests. Now, any 
soil, though its composition maybe the most 
desirable in the world, if allowed to bake, 
and, in the process of tillage, remain only 
half pulverized, is no better than that above 
mentioned. Hardened or integrated lumps 
of clay or earth, so far as contributing to the 
growth of plants is concerned, are no better 
than the same amount of boulders. 
Plants in their process of growth, can de¬ 
rive nothing from the soil but what is held 
by water either in solution or suspension. 
Hence, the necessity of thorough pulveriza¬ 
tion applies as well to manures as to earth. 
Dried lumps of manure, around corn hills or 
upon the surface of a meadow, so far as con¬ 
tributing to fertility, are but little better than 
the same amount of chips or stones. 
How many farmers plant, pulverizing with 
the back of the hoe just enough of soil to 
cover the seed, and trust to the roots of the 
coming plant to seek for a meager subsist¬ 
ence among the surrounding hardened lumps 
of earth, and then perhaps reproach Provi¬ 
dence for an unproductive harvest! How 
many cart manure enough to bountifully en¬ 
rich their lands, but, leaving it in lumps, 
within or upon unpulverized soil, it yields its 
richness to the desert air, instead of impart¬ 
ing it to the earth available for vegetable nu¬ 
trition to the no small disappointment of the 
cultivator. It is fine earth only, that ab¬ 
sorbs and retains, for the purposes of vegeta¬ 
ble growth, the rich gases and soluble por¬ 
tions of manure. 
This subject is one of paramount impor¬ 
tance to the agriculturist. The thorough 
pulverization of soil and manure, is second 
to no other subject connected with the farm¬ 
er’s interests. O. C. Gibbs, M. D. 
Perry, Lake Co., Ohio. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
FARMING IN ULSTER COUNTY, N. Y. 
THE EFFECTS OF THE PAST WINTER—IMPLE¬ 
MENTS—MORE HELP SHOULD BE EM¬ 
PLOYED BY FARMERS, ETC. 
Shawanqunk, Ulster Co., March 17, 1855. 
While the past year has been one of pros¬ 
perity to the farmers in some parts of our 
widely^extended country, it has been a time 
of peculiar embarrassment to the majority 
in this region of the State. The cold and 
backward spring of last year, succeeded as 
it was by an unparalleled drouth, resulted in 
a great decrease of all the ordinary products 
of the soil, excepting hay, which was nearly 
or quite an average crop. Wheat is not 
raised here to any considerable extent; but 
the few fields which were cut last year were 
almost an utter failure. The result has been 
that, last fall carcely any wheat was sown 
in this vicinity. The granaries of our farm¬ 
ers at this time present a very lean and 
meager aspect. Not a few are under the 
necessity of purchasing supplies of grain for 
the use of their families, at prices ranging 
quite above those which obtain in the New- 
York markets. The stock of fodder is also 
much less abundant than was expected. 
This is to be ascribed to three causes. The 
prevalence of the drouth greatly diminished 
the fall pasturage, and compelled many to 
make early drafts upon their winter supplies. 
The winter has been long and excessively 
cold, (the mercury several times sinking be¬ 
low zero, and on one occasion to 20 degrees 
below zero,) and consequently more food for 
stock has been required. In addition to this, 
farmers who have been accustomed to feed 
grain freely, have this year been compelled 
greatly to diminish the quantity, and of 
course to draw more heavily upon their hay. 
Very few farmers in^this region have, as yet, 
provided themselves with any suitable cutting 
apparatus for reducing their straw, corn¬ 
stalks and coarse hay to chaff, whereby so 
great a saving in fodder is secured. Few 
roots are raised for stock, and it is very rare 
to see even a small patch of corn sown in 
drills, or broadcast, for feeding to stock 
while green, or in a cured state. I should 
think that the costly experience of the past 
year would be effectual in opening the eyes 
of multitudes of our farmers, to the import¬ 
ance of making all possible provision against 
the evils of drouth, and other causes of the 
failure of crops, to which they were always 
liable. 
I am sorry to say that farmers, as a class, 
are slow to learn, even in the school of ex¬ 
perience, when the lesson to be learned re¬ 
lates to their own peculiar avocation. It is 
by no means easy to convince them of the 
propriety of any change in their modes ol 
cultivation, and in the crops to which they 
shall direct their attention. Or even, if con¬ 
vinced, and half resolved to attempt some 
thing in the way of progress in their calling, 
the purpose is to often forgotten, or deferred 
in the hurry which each season brings with 
it; which unreasonable hurry, in turn, is to 
be ascribed, in no small degree, to the fact 
that most farmers undertake more work than 
can be properly accomplished with the force 
of hands engaged. This is a serious evil. 
A man alone, or with the aid of a boy, with 
a few days’ help at distant intervals, under¬ 
takes to perform all the operations of a farm 
of a hundred or more acres. The necessary 
consequence is that the farmer himself is 
reduced to the condition of a mere drudge, 
and, daily, toils quite beyond his strength; 
his crops suffer in detail, for want of labor 
bestowed on them at the proper moment, and 
improvements are unattempted. Either let 
the industrious farmer lay his plans on a 
smaller scale, or else let him engage a larger 
force of hands to perform well the necessary 
labors of the season. I doubt not that the 
result in most cases would be an increase of 
health, enjoyment, and greater freedom from 
vexation, without any real diminution, but 
rather an increase of profits. It is a wise 
adage, though a trite one, “ what is worth 
doing at all is worth doing well.” 
The severe cold of the past winter has 
been disastrous to tender fruits in this re¬ 
gion. On my own premises, peach buds 
were all killed as early as December; and 
this I believe is true with regard to all the ad 
jacent country. Possibly there may be ex¬ 
ceptions on the higher grounds, and in pe¬ 
culiarly sheltered situations. 
I have not taken pains to ascertain par¬ 
ticularly what has been the effect of the 
severe cold upon other and more hardy 
fruits. I hope that they have escaped se¬ 
rious injury. 
We have had numerous snows, but they 
have generally been light. When this was 
not the case, the drift was so great that we 
have had very little sleighing during the 
winter. Much of the ground having been 
bare during the severe weather, the effect 
upon winter grain, I fear, has been injurious. 
The fields at present wear an unpromising 
aspect; although our prospects may brighten 
materially with the coming of warm weather. 
At present there is still a great deal of frost 
in the ground, and the weather (though it has 
generally been favorable since the beginning 
of March), still remains cold and backward, 
and farming operations must, necessarily be 
deferred for a few weeks longer. M. 
Fall of Black Snow. —Prof. Fairchild, of 
Oberlin, Ohio, states that on February 7th, 
they had in that region a fall of dark-colored I 
snow. The crystals were in the form of 
dense icy pellets, about the twentieth of an 
inch in diameter. It fell to the depth of 
nearly an inch, and when melted it yielded 
about a half inch of water. The snow had 
a distinct smoky taste, and on filtering it 
through paper a dark, sooty substance was 
obtained. 
Widows’ Tears. —A few barrels of liquor, 
on their way through Rutland, Vt., from 
Troy to Boston, were observed to be labeled, 
“ Widows’ Tears.” 
