“to improve the soil and the mind.” 
New Series. 
ALBANY, MAY, 1849. 
Vol. VI.—No. 5. 
jhnprcscnunt of tl)c Soil. 
Treatment of Sandy Soil—Use of Clay, &c. 
Eds. Cultivator —Circumstances have particularly 
attracted my attention to the nature and cultivation of 
sandy soils. I am satisfied by observation and experi¬ 
ence, that a very false and mistaken system of tillage 
has been adopted upon these lands, and that there pre¬ 
vails an inadequate appreciation of their value and pro¬ 
ductiveness. The preliminary processes, by which they 
arc in popular language subdued, and adapted to pro¬ 
fitable culture, are somewhat tedious and expensive. 
The leaves, foliage, and other deciduous particles, 
that fall from the pine trees which ordinarily occupy 
these lands in their primitive state, must be first des¬ 
troyed. These substances are most noxious and des¬ 
tructive to vegetation, and scarcely no useful plant can 
be cultivated, while they exist to any extent upon the 
surface of the soil. This work, should be, and usually 
is effectually accomplished by the burning, which suc¬ 
ceeds the first clearing. A fire that burns over the 
whole surface successfully purges the soil from this ob¬ 
noxious influence. Where the earth by this process is 
well prepared for the drag, a valuable crop of rye or 
oats may be obtained, which will prove an ample remu¬ 
neration for the subsequent labor and expenses to which 
I shall refar. If the burning has not effected this re¬ 
sult, the farmer must be contented with light crops, 
and scanty and coarse grasses, until the decay of the 
roots and stumps, (which is a rapid process with the 
pines,) enables him to accomplish the object by the 
plow and hoe. The first clearing is succeeded by a 
growth of sweet fern, brakes and other worthless 
plants, by which every valuable vegetable is choked, 
and ultimately extirpated. This vegetation, we term 
the sour growth. It is only eradicated by repeated, 
close and careful plowing and dragging, or what is 
more efficient still, by the thorough use of the hoe. 
Sheep and cattle pastured upon the land, have no effect 
upon this noxious vegetation. They all reject it, and 
refuse to brouse it. Any effort to successfully cultivate 
with grain or grass, the soil in its presence willlead to idle 
expense and incur certain disappointment. Until freed 
from those substances, the land cannot even advantage¬ 
ously be laid down to pasture. Two, and often three 
efficient plowings are necessary to produce this result. 
It is not requisite, however, that the plowings should 
occupy an equal number of years. Repeated use of the 
plow, is often highly advantageous in the same season. 
Nor is the labor and expense of these plowings with¬ 
out beneficial consequence in other respects. The pro¬ 
cess, if performed at the proper period, at each recur¬ 
rence, turns under and covers a rank growth of green 
and juicy vegetable matter, which rapidly decaying, 
yields to the soil a most fertilising manure. This ve¬ 
getable substance, when decomposed, becomes incorpo¬ 
rated with the sand, imparting new and improved qua¬ 
lities to the land, and forming by the combination, a 
new element of soil. A farmer, ignorant of these facts, 
or disregarding them, may be impatent, under this pro¬ 
tracted system, and in prematurely forcing the land, 
often incurs a loss of his toil and money, and will im¬ 
pute to the soil a failure chargeable to his own impro 
vidence. 
When, by these operations, the land is sufficiently 
ameliorated and relieved from this 11 sourness,” it 
should be well seeded prncipally with clover. In this 
condition, it is formed for successful tillage. White 
clover is indigenous to the soil, and springing up spon¬ 
taneously, yields a rich and beautiful profusion of herb¬ 
age. A heav}' and vigorous turf is thus soon formed. 
The land is then adapted to the profitable culture of al¬ 
most every crop. A tenacious sward, plowed under, 
gives to the soil a firmness and consistency, that adapts 
it to the application of manures, and renders their ef¬ 
fect more powerful and permanent. The decaying turf 
constitutes a basis, upon which such appliances as plas¬ 
ter, ashes and lime will vigorously act, and produce 
large crops of corn, potatoes, or the smaller grains. 
My observation has confirmed the opinion, that, by a 
judicious rotation in culture, sandy soils may be conti¬ 
nued without the application of manures, in a constant¬ 
ly progressive state of improvement. Instead of ex¬ 
hausting, tillage tends to its amelioration. The most 
successful system in my experience is this- Turn under 
a clover ley, plant upon it, with plaster, after a sufli 
cient harrowing, but without disturbing the sw r ard 
The second year, carefully seed with clover and herd4 
grass. Let it remain for two or three seasons in grass 
and then again pursue the same practice. If permitted 
to remain too long in grass, the land becomes gradual 
ly infested with a wild and worthless vegetation. 
I will briefly suggest some of the reasons upon which 
I found my estimate of the advantages of cultivating 
sandy soils. They may be tilled with an immense sa¬ 
ving of labor and expense. A team can plow in the 
same time, two acres, with less labor and wear, than 
one acre of stiff or hard land. An equal economy of 
time and toil, will be observed in every subsequent pro¬ 
cess, in the tillage of the crop. This is the case when 
the work is performed by manual labor. The differ¬ 
ence in the relative expense of cultivation, is greatly 
enhanced in favor of the sandy soil, by the use of labor 
saving machines. In forming a judgment on this sub¬ 
ject, this fact should be regarded as of most prominent 
consequence, for these lands are admirably adapted to 
the use of the corn planter, horse hoe, and cultivator. 
Grain grown upon sandy soil, is proverbially well ripen¬ 
ed and heavy in weight. Potatoes raised on it, are uni¬ 
formly. I believe, exempt from disease, and always of the 
choicest quality. It is less affected by drouth than ma¬ 
ny other varieties of land. I impute this fact to its fee¬ 
ing peculiarly pervious to moisture, from its loose and 
detached particles, which renders it more readily affect¬ 
ed by the slight showers and copious dews of summer. 
