60 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ January 20,1887. 
SOIL LESSONS. 
Good mixed soil, as the term is generally used and applied 
by farmers, may be taken as the best for ngricullural 
purposes. It is, therefore, desirable to understand what such 
is, and to strive and bring other soil into a similar condition, 
ar as near to it as is possible. Such a soil may be described 
as deep fertile loam, with enough small stones in every part 
of it to render it thoroughly porous, so as to insure a free 
passage for rain water as well as the free admission of air 
into it. Depth of soil is probably the only difficulty which 
may be thought insuperable in the way of an improver of 
land deficient in such fine natural properties. Yet even in 
this much may be effected by drainage and a regular use of a 
steam cultivator, the subsoil then gradually loses much of its 
crude harshness, it becomes sweet and mellow, top-dressings 
of ashes, bone, lime, or burnt clay passing slowly but surely 
downwards into it. 
Drainage forms the basis of our work of improvement, 
and we turn to it now for that reason, and also because the 
present time is the most favourable of the whole year for such 
work. The philosophy of drainage is not at all so well under¬ 
stood generally as it ought to be, and we may usefully 
enumerate the reasons for and effects of this process once more. 
First, let us call attention to the important fact that though, 
as we have said, the mechanical division of the soil, either 
by a natural admixture of small stones or an artificial one 
of other hard substance, renders the soil porous, yet the 
free passage of water and of air can only be insured by 
drainage. If the soil is drained of superfluous water naturally 
all is well, but we are bound to ascertain if that is so, and to 
make good any natural deficiency by making enough drains 
of a suitable size and depth for our purpose. It is impossible 
to lay down rules for every case, local circumstances require 
special consideration, and every farm has its peculiarities to 
which due attention must be given. Soil lessons await us at 
every turn, be it our aim to try and learn each one as it comes 
under notice. We were recently driving through a few miles 
of open country more or less under snow which had fallen a 
week or two before the day of our drive. The appearance of 
the snow afforded a curious indication of the nature of the 
soil it covered. Upon clayey uplands, and alluvial deposits 
in a wide valley, the snow lay thickly, having wasted but 
little since it fell, thus showing that the soil was naturally 
retentive of moisture, and that drainage might be applied 
with advantage. But when we came to light, sandy, and 
mixed soils, the snow had wasted away so much that much 
of the soil was visible, and we had before us, like an open 
book, a clear lesson of the benefit of porosity in conjunction 
with drainage. 
Not simply to draw off water do we make drains, but to 
raise the temperature of the soil and in a very considerable 
degree to counteract the baneful influence of drought. How 
is it that we raise the temperature of the soil ? By prevent¬ 
ing the constant evaporation which lowers the temperature 
of the surface so much. Warm air cannot enter soil 
saturated with moisture. Water in a quiescent state might 
almost be termed a non-conductor of heat, and it is not 
difficult to understand how undrained retentive soil is so cold 
even in summer; nor is it difficult to realise fully how serious 
an evil is that of water rising constantly to the surface of soil 
by capillary attraction and passing into the air by evapora¬ 
tion. Half fill a saucer with water, place in it a lump of clay, 
the upper part of which is several inches out of the water, 
and you may see what we mean by capillary attraction as the 
water gradually ascends till the whole of the clay is saturated. 
This is an example in miniature of what is constantly taking 
place, not only in undrained soil but also in badly drained 
soil. The water in the saucer represents the water table 
beneath the soil. To prevent excessive evaporation we must 
have the water table low down in the subsoil, and the depth 
which has been found to answer best generally is 4 feet. 
Water always finds its own level by gravity, and, therefore, 
when we practise comparatively shallow drainage we would 
always introduce a certain number of deep drains to insure a 
low water table. 
Having cut off the water of attraction sufficiently by 
drainage to render its action harmless, we have an action of 
the drains strictly in proportion to the mechanical division of 
the soil. While this is at all faulty we cannot raise the 
temperature of the soil fully, hence the importance of doing 
all we can to render the soil porous. Once achieve this and 
then the air enters freely; and though it is a law of Nature 
that heat always ascends, we may fairly claim that heat 
descends, or rather that the warmth of the atmosphere is 
carried down into open well-drained soil. A free entrance of 
air into the soil following a free passage of water through it 
does more than warm; it enriches, and, therefore, helps to 
render it fertile as well as sweet and mellow. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Severe weather still continues, and we have to make preparations for 
the lambing with several inches of snow upon the land. We have had 
extra care taken with the ewes during the cold weather, and have taken 
care that no negligence in feeding shall mar the work of the whole year. 
Use no frozen roots; we have a splendid supply, well stored in clamps 
secure from frost, and only enough are taken to sheep at a time for them 
to consume at once. Most eager are they for the roots now that the grass- 
is covered with snow and they are having so much dry food, so that a 
calculation of the quantity required is easily made. In this and in all 
other food fresh supplies at regular intervals answer best in every way. 
The animals consume fresh food with more zest than when they have an 
unlimited quantity to go to, and a proper check can also be best kept upon 
consumption by stated quantities of food being taken regularly to the 
flock. We like the racks to be kept well filled with pea straw, as the- 
animal propensity to eat to repletion can lead to no harm when indulged 
upon such fare. It is in such a winter as this that the value of large 
sheds and enclosures is fully seen. That sheep live and thrive out in the 
open is true enough, but they thrive much better under the enjoyment 
of shelter in very inclement weather. Depend upon it shelter means 
“money,” and that is a final result to which all our farm practice has to 
submit. Give the sheep the option of lying upon cold wet land or outupon 
the snow, or upon a dry hard floor inside a snug enclosure, and you will 
see them take to the floor quickly enough, and moreover you will reap the 
benefit of it too. No time must he lost now in the careful preparation 
of a large fold with plenty of snug little pens fcr the lambing. We like 
the fold to open upon good sound grass land, and to have it well sheltered 
from cold north and north-east winds. Let the sides of the fold be thick 
enough to exclude cold wind ; this is easily managed by making the 
enclosure with parallel lines of hurdles 2 feet apart, filling the space 
between the hurdles with straw. Pens and roofs, too, are also easily con¬ 
trived with hurdles thatched with straw, and for very large flocks it is 
well either to have divisions made by setting thatched hurdles in the 
ground, or to have a second lambing fold, so as not to have so big a fold that 
there is a large open space in the middle over which the wind can sweep. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden Square, London. 
L»t. 51° 32' 40" N.; Long. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude, 111 feet. 
DATE. 
9 A.M. 
IN THE DAT. 
0 
i 0 
X 
1887. 
January. 
Barome¬ 
ter at 32« 
and 8ea 
Level 
Hygrome¬ 
ter. 
Direction 
of Wind. 
Temp, of 
Soil at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
sun. 
deg. 
39.4 
45.7 
42 7 
44.7 
34.8 
38.8 
85.8 
On 
gra«^ 
Sunday . 9 
Monday .10 
Tuesday .11 
Wednesday . 12 
Thursday ... 13 
Friday .14 
Saturday .... 16 
Inches. 
29.298 
29.790 
29.906 
30.249 
30.443 
30.320 
30.300 
deg. 
34.3 
81.5 
37.3 
38.4 
31.2 
29.2 
32.4 
deg. 
33.9 
31.0 
35.4 
37.8 
31.2 
28.8 
31.1 
s. 
N.W. 
S.E. 
N.E. 
Calm 
Calm 
E. 
deg. 
34.8 
34.7 
34.5 
34 A 
34.8 
34.7 
34.8 
deg. 
35.3 
37.4 
40.4 
40.1 
32.8 
34.6 
332 
deg 
32.4 
31.2 
30.3 
36.9 
30.4 
28.1 
28.7 
deg 
29.7 
28.8 
23.2 
33.6 
25.1 
28.7 
28.8 
28.3 
In. 
0.075 
0.124 
0.0L2 
30.044 
33.5 
32.7 
34.7 
36.3 
31.1 
30.3 
0.212 
REMARKS. 
9th.—Very gloomy day, with fog till about noon. Snow in evening. 
10th.—Bright fine day ; fog in evening, 
llth.—Overcast, with showers. 
12th.—Wet early, gradually cleared ; fine afternoon, clear night. 
13th.—Damp white fog all day, turning to yellow in evening. 
14th.—Dali, with slight fog ail day. 
15th.—Dull all day, slight shower of sleet at noon. 
Temperature several degrees below the average, and remarkably eqnable on the 13th,. 
the highest and lowest differed by only 2.4°, and on the 9th by only 2 9°, and the average 
daily range for the week was onh 5.2°, being less than in any week for beveral years p ist. 
The extreme range during the week was also very small, only 12.4°.—G. J. SYMONS. 
