232 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIS1 
The Back Volumes of the American Agriculturist, 
neatly bound, can now be supplied from the commence¬ 
ment. These of themselves constitute a beautiful and 
valuable Farmer’s Library, embracing a compendium 
ol all the important agricultural articles that have ap- 
peareed during the last thirteen years. First ten volumes, 
new edition, furnished bound for $10. 
Bound volumes XI, XII and XIII (new series), $1 50 per 
volume ; unbound, $1 per volume. The whole thirteen 
volumes furnished bound for $14 50. 
JlmeriOT lirkdtaist 
Wew-York, Thursday, June 21. 
This paper is never sent where it is 
not considered paid foi—and is in all cases 
stopped when the subscription runs out. 
We occasionally send a number to persons 
who are not subscribers. This is sometimes 
done as a compliment, and in other cases to 
invite examination. Those receiving such 
numbers are requested to look them over, and 
if convenient show them to a neighbor. 
CLAY AS A MANURE 
All kinds of plants draw their principal 
food from the air through the medium of the 
leaves. The food collected by the leaves is 
carried down by the circulating sap to the 
different parts of the plants where it is 
wanted. This sap is gathered from the soil 
through open mouths (spongioles) upon the 
ends of the fine rootlets, and ascends through 
the inner wood, or central portions of the 
plant stalk, thence circulates through the 
leaves, gathering the food there collected, 
and descends through the outer wood, or 
external portions of the stalk, depositing the 
food where it is needed to increase the bulk 
of the plant. 
The amount of food collected by the leaves 
depends upon the extent of leaf-surface, and 
upon the continual change of air, so that 
fresh supplies of food may be furnished as 
fast as one portion of the air is exhausted. 
On this account it is probable that plants 
grow faster during gentle winds, than when 
the air is calm and comparatively motionless. 
But it matters not how large may be the 
leaf-surface, nor how great may be the sup¬ 
ply of food furnished by the air, the plant 
will not grow rapidly if there is not an abund¬ 
ant supply of circulating sap to carry this 
food to the points where it is needed. Much 
of the sap that ascends is evaporated from 
the surface of the leaves, and in dry weather 
it often happens that nearly all the moisture 
collected by the roots is thus lost, and, as a 
consequence, the plant languishes, or is lit¬ 
erally starved to death. 
This view of the subject teaches an im¬ 
portant practical lesson, viz—that careful 
attention should be given to furnishing an 
abundance of sap by a well-developed sys¬ 
tem of roots. These roots should go down 
into the soil far enough to be beyond the 
reach of the sun’s drying effect. To accom¬ 
plish this, the soil must be stirred deeply to 
admit the air. In most soils freely circulat¬ 
ing air is necessary to destroy or change 
poisonous substances. But of this we do 
not propose here to speak. We will uoav 
only refer to the 
Mechanical structure of the soil, as relates 
to its fineness or coarseness. The sap¬ 
absorbing roots of all plants are exceedingly 
small—so small that they can not be seen 
by the unaided eye. When we pull up a 
stalk of corn, for instance, we only draw up 
the larger, stronger roots. There is left be¬ 
hind, by a single stalk, millions of tender 
rootlets, which can only be found by long- 
continued and careful washing of a portion 
of the soil, and the use of a magnifying 
glass. 
The practical point we are aiming at is, 
that these sap-absorbing roots are so very 
small, that they can not grow in any situa¬ 
tion where there is not a sufficiency of very 
fine, impalpable soil, to afford a medium for 
their growth. Small roots, large enough to 
be visible to the eye, can not grow in a me¬ 
dium composed wholly of gravel stones. 
But fine sand grains are much larger com¬ 
pared with sap-absorbing rootlets, than are 
gravel-stones the size of chestnuts compared 
with roots no larger than a cambric needle. 
The adaptability of a soil to the growth of 
these fine rootlets, and, in a great measure, 
its fertility, depends upon the amount of im¬ 
palpable material—that is, earthy substances 
so fine that when rubbed between the fin¬ 
gers there is no perception of roughness. 
We know that common clay is such a sub¬ 
stance as this. It feels smooth, or salvy, so 
to speak, when rubbed in the hand. 
It is on this account, that we often find 
clay one of the very best fertilizers that can 
be added to a sandy soil. The particles of 
sand making up such a soil are too coarse 
to furnish a medium of growth to the sap¬ 
absorbing rootlets. The addition of the fine 
clay particles supplies the want. 
To test any soil in reference to this point, 
take a portion and put it into a vessel; add 
four or five times its bulk of water; stir 
well; let it stand two or three minutes ; 
then pour off the water into a clean tin or 
glass vessel, and let it stand perfectly still 
for a few hours, or till it becomes quite clear. 
If there does not settle to the bottom of this 
water a considerable portion of fine, impalp¬ 
able earthy material, equal in weight to 
from one-twentieth to one-tenth of the origi¬ 
nal soil, we may safely conclude that it does 
not contain enough of fine soil to support 
the sap-absorbing rootles of any plant. Ma¬ 
nures added to such a soil may stimulate the 
growth of a greater length of root, and lead 
them to a greater distance in search of 
moisture ; but the most feasible means of 
improvement is, to bring about a change in 
the mechanical structure. Frequent stir¬ 
ring and exposure to the air and frost, which 
disintegrate the coarser particles and furnish 
more of the fine material, are beneficial; but 
we believe the most rapid and, in the end, 
the most economical improvement of such 
soils, is to add to them a liberal supply of 
fine clay. 
We venture the opinion, that on any sandy 
soil, or even on sandy loam, a few loads of 
fine clay thoroughly mingled with it will, in 
the course of a few years, produce more 
marked effects than half as many loads of 
the best organic manure. When clay is so 
added, it remains a permanent improvement, 
unless the soil is subjected to running water 
that will wash out the clay again. 
The amount of clay that maybe profitably 
added to any soil, will depend upon its pres¬ 
ent necessity or physical condition. On 
many soils ten loads of clay per acre will 
show a marked effect, while on most sandy 
fields one or two hundred loads per acre will 
be found a most profitable outlay. We 
earnestly advise those who have light, 
coarse, or sandy fields, with clay accessible, 
to ponder this subject well, and to try a por¬ 
tion, at least, with a good admixture of clay 
AS A MANURE. 
State and County Shows. —We invite all 
officers of State and County Societies in the 
different States, who have not yet done so, 
to send us, without delay, the times and 
places of their next exhibitions ; that we may 
make out our list as early and as complete 
as possible. Direct to American Agricultu¬ 
rist, New-York City. 
Virginia State Agricultural Society.— 
This Society is actively preparing for the 
third annual exhibition, to be held at Rich¬ 
mond, from the 30th of October to the 2d of 
November inclusive. We think the mana¬ 
gers are wise in deferring the exhibition to 
a later season than usual, for the farmers 
will, at that time, have so far completed 
their fall work as to be able to devote a 
week to this interesting festival. The pros 
perous financial condition of the Society en¬ 
ables the managers to offer a large list of 
liberal premiums. Some of the special pre¬ 
miums are of general interest. They offer 
$100 to the first individual establishing and 
maintaining for six months a factory for 
tubular draining tiles, on the most approved 
plan; and a like sum for the best drained 
farm, including extent of surface drained, 
profitableness, &c.; $50 each for the best 
practical methods of eradicating or checking 
wire grass (Cynodon Dactylon), and wild 
garlic ; $30 each for most successful man¬ 
agement of water meadows—not less than 
15 acres—and best plan of preserving wheat 
from time of harvest until sent to market. 
The most noteworthy premium, however, 
is $1,000, for the discovery of some efficient 
and available remedy, such as may be judi¬ 
ciously used by farmers, to secure the wheat 
crop against the ravages of the joint-worm ; 
to be tested in such manner as may be satis¬ 
factory to the committee, and to be present¬ 
ed in time to be tested in the next crop, or 
longer, if necessary. 
One half of this premium is offered by the 
Society, and one half by Messrs. Wm. Boul- 
ware, Ph. St. Geo. Cocke, Edmund Ruffin, 
Lewis E. Harvie, Wm. G. Crenshaw, and F. 
G. Ruffin. 
The Putnam County (N. Y.) Agricultu¬ 
ral Society will hold its next exhibition at 
Carmel, September 18th and 19th. We no¬ 
tice that special premiums of $50 and $20 
are offered for Essays on the Defects in the 
present system of farming in the County. 
This is an excellent idea, and we should be 
glad to see the same plan adopted by every 
