68 
gaarn 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
be accomplished by the usual practice. They also alter the texture of it 
so much, that it is capable of glowing valuable crops, which were beiore 
opposed to its natural texture, and which could never have been profitably 
grown on it, until this alteration has been etiected. 
The judicious application of this vegetation, will often supersede the 
necessity of riding and under-draining. 
If nature and reason had been suffi, iently consulted in the practice of 
husbandry, it would have been generally known, that ploughing a consi- 
ten classed with alluvial soils, is evidently a vegetable production.” “ It jjderable mass ot veg tat ion under a sandy sod, w ill as effectually prevent 
accumulates,” says Prof. Hitchcock, (Geol. Hep. Mass. p. 1 18,) “in the ! an injurious evaporation ol moisture Irom it, as the application ot any other 
bottom of ponds, lakes, estuaries, &c. In this mud, various aquatic plants '[ substance commonly used for that purpose, until the vegetation is decom- 
take root, and by their decay swell the deposite already made. At length ! 
the pulpy mass reaches the surlace, when the sphagneous and other mass-i 
Wallingford, June 10, 1835. 
Mr. Editor —A correspondent in your paper lor June, inquires “ whe 
ther ive have in this country any thing answering to the peat of the 
old world?” to which you made a brief reply; but sup|X>sing that further! 
particulars might not be without interest to many of your readers, I send : 
you the following, to be disposed of as you deem best. 
“ Peat,” says Bakewell, (Geology, p. 329, 1st Am , Ed.) “ though of- 
posed. 
The fertility of rich, sandy soils also determines, that an injurious eva- 
es take root in it, along with vaiious other plants, and by their gradual-'potation of moisture from them, is greatly retarded, even by the enrich- 
decomposition the pond or hike in the course of ages, becomes converted j ing matter arising from the decomposition of the vegetable substances 
Thus are the materials furnished for abed of j| while it continues in the grounds. Hence it is, that we hear but little 
complaint of the sandy texture of soils, until these substances, and the 
into a swamp or marsh, 
peat. 
The changes produced upon this accumulation of matter, in its trans 
formation, are most clearly described by Dr. McCulloch, in his history of 
the Western Isles of Scotland- “The process,” he says, “ by which 
these vegetables are converted into peat, is most clearly seen in \he sphag¬ 
num, (peat moss ) As the lower extremity of the plant dies, the upper 
sends iurlh fresh roots like most of the mosses, the individual thus becom¬ 
ing in a manner immortal, and supplying a perpetual lund of decomposing 
vegt table matter. The growth of peat keeps pace w ith the vegetable from 
which it is formed. When thy living plant is still in contact with peat, 
the roots of the rushes, and ligneous vegetables, are found vascillating 
between life and death, in a spongy, half decomposed state. Lower down, 
the pulverized carbonaceous matter is seen mixed with similar fibres,still 
resisting decomposition. These gradually disappear, and at length, a fine¬ 
ly powdered substance alone is found, the process being completed by the 
destruction of all the organized bodies ” (Dr. McC.p. i30. Bake. 33 ) 
Such is a brief account of the origin, grow th and nature ot peat beds, 
and is applicable to all countries, though a predominance of any given 
species ot plants, may vary its external aspect or affect its quality. “ The 
best kinds, (Jameson's Mineralogy, Shetland Isles,) burn with a clear 
bright flame, leaving light colored ashes; bul tfie more indifferent kinds 
in burning often emit a disagreeable smell, and leave a heavy red colored 
kind ol ashes.” 
It is frequently kiln-dried, or rather charred, the mode of doing which, 
may be found at length in the Encyclopedia Americana—article Fuel. 
In England, many of “the peat moots have disappear, d before the 
g« uius ol agricultural improvement 1 ,” but in Scotland they are abundant 
at the present day, and the description of them by Prof. Jameson, is an 
accurate description ol all peat moors. In some situations, peat increases' 
with astonishing rapidity, overruning land depastured within the memory j 
of man. 
It abounds in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and I doubt not, in all 
the New-England States 
Peat, also possesses the power of preserving animal matter from putre¬ 
faction o a surpiis'ng degree. Fleshy parts ot the Mastodon have been 
found in p< at (Bake. p. 332.) 
In the Philosophical Transactions foi 1734, Dr. Balgery gives an ac¬ 
count i f two human bodies preserved entire in peat lor fifty-nine years. 
1 am, dear sir, respectlully yours, A. B. CHAPIN. 
Knox, June 10 , 1835. 
J. Bcel—D ear Sir—I communicate to you my method of increasing 
the quantity of manure trom the hog-pen. If you think an insertion in 
the Cultivator may be the means of aiding some farmer to ptoiit by the 
practice, it is at your disposal. 
1 make a yard adjoining the hog-pen, equal to ten or twelve feet square 
for each hog, in which I deposite a layer, at least a foot thick, of black 
swamp earth, such as may be easily obtained in a dry time by almost eve¬ 
ry farmer. The hogs having a way to pass, deposite all their manure in the 
yard, which leaves the pen clean and healthy, a decided advantage in fat¬ 
tening hogs. If the yard becomes very muddy, I throw in litter. After 
the hogs are killed, I deposite another layer of the like earth, previously 
he aped, of about half the thickness of the former, and put up my store 
pigs to winter, which I think is far better than to suffer them to run at 
large. In the spring, I have a fine rich yard of manure, which I verily 
believe, when judiciously applied, pays more than a hundred per cent on 
all the expense. Yours respectfully, AMOS CRARY. 
Tillage Husbandry* 
EXTRACTS FROM LORAIN’S HUSBANDRY. 
The texture of any soil is most advantageously altered by the roots and 
tops oj the grasses, property applied and ordered. 
Grass lays, when properly applied and cultivated, are vtry productive, 
and enrich the soil far beyond what is generally supposed, or can in fact 
.fertilizing matter arising fiom the decomposition ot them, have been con¬ 
siderably exhausted by an injudicious husbandry. On the contrary, we 
| find that the renters of laud generally prefer sandy soils, while they con- 
Itinue rich; the cultivation ot such grounds is far less laborious than those 
of a firmer texture, and may be progressing, when continued rains have 
j put a stop to the plough in soils that are inoie retentive ol moisture. 
| It is also worthy ol remark, that the nutriment arising from the vegeta- 
jtion ploughed under the soil, will greatly promote the vigor of the plants: 
'also, that .he close shade termed by this increased vegetation, is well cal¬ 
culated to defend the soil from the injurious intiuence ol the sun and air; 
whereas the mixture of clay, &c. with a sandy soil, merely alters the tex¬ 
ture of it. 
Many gentlemen of distinguished talents fondly imagine, that alterations 
made by combining the different earths properly, will ettect a more pro¬ 
ductive, as well as lasting improvement, than can be made in any other 
way; it will be found, however, that no combination of the simple earths, 
without the aid of animal or vegetable matter, can create a soil calculated 
for the efficient growth of plants: also, that after the animal and vegeta¬ 
ble matter contained in this improved soil, has been exhausted, it, as well 
as the unimproved ground, will be unproductive. Plants cannot prosper 
in any soil, unless a sufficiency of nutriment has been provided for them. 
Still it is readily granted, that a happy mixture of the oifferent earths 
greatly favors vegetation; hut this cannot be obtained, where nature has 
not formed it, without gleat labor and expense. No lact is more obvious 
in our recent settlements, than that every soil well stored with animal 
and vegetable matter is productive, until these substances have be> n too 
much exhausted: also, that al ter this evil has been i ff cted, the fertility 
of the exhausted soil is restored, so soon as a sufficiency of animal and 
vegetable matter has been incorporated with it. Why then should we 
encounter the enormous labor and expense of altering the texture ol our 
grounds, by mixing other earths with them, when we can grow luxuiiant 
crops, and gradually improve all the different soils, without having re- 
couise to this Heiculcan task? 
How ridges should be formed and cultivated in retentive soils. 
The texture of stiff, retentive, clay soil, may be al-o as readily altered 
by grass lays; for (as has been before observed,) every furrow slice forms 
an under drain, more especially if a good crop of grass be turned under 
the sod. The vegetation thus applied, more effectually cuts off the com¬ 
munication between the cold clay underneath andfuriow slice above: also 
furnishes a wider opening hetwetn the two to run off the moisture. This 
will frequently render ridging up useless, where it could not be dispensed 
with in the usual mode of cultivation; and often save the expensive prac¬ 
tice, of draining in still moister soils: provided the grounds be formed 
into ridges of a suitable width, and the clearing out furrows be properly 
regulated and cleaned out. But this is not all, for the innumerable roots 
of the grasses divide the soil minutely. The fermentation of them ex¬ 
pands and opens it, and their gradual decay not only greatly enriches it, 
but also furnishes an inconceivable numbei of hollows or cavities through¬ 
out its whole extent. These openings being equal to the length, thick¬ 
ness, and number of the roots of the grasses and weeds, they are well 
calculated to admit the ready progress of the roots of the growing plants 
through every part of the soil. This, together with the powerfully ex¬ 
panding force of fermentation, and the nutritive matter obtained by de¬ 
composition, forms a light, open, artificial bed, well prepared for the 
giowth of plants. When the soil is thus ordered, they do grow luxuriant¬ 
ly, and produce abundantly: provided the succeeding cultivation be cal¬ 
culated to secure these very obvious advantages. 
After the grounds have been prepared as above described, and the seed 
planted at a depth suitable to 'he economy of the plants, a level and su¬ 
perficial cultivation should follow, even when the soil is retentive of mois¬ 
ture. In case, however, of two much moisture fora level preparation of 
the lay, the sod should be propeily ridged up at first. To prevent the 
middle of the ridge from being injuriously high, the two first furrows 
