90 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
“ Unstratified, or Rocks of igneous origin .—Occurring in masses, 
having been protruded in a melted state from below. 
“ The arrangement into these two classes is here adopted, as appear¬ 
ing to possess the highest probability, from the present state of geolo¬ 
gical facts and researches. 
“Primitive Stratified .—Inferring from multiplied facts, it has been 
supposed that at the formation of the globe, the chemical affinities of 
the different elementary metals and gases having been permitted to 
come into action at the surface, the primitive strata appear to have 
been arranged by the agency of water, according to their gravities in 
concentric layers, forming the first hard envelop or crust betwixt the 
superincumbent water and atmosphere, and the interior ; their crystal¬ 
line structure is considered to have been principally caused by the heat 
of the fused masses of granite which afterwards came in contact with 
them. Their period of formation is considered to be prior to the crea¬ 
tion of organic beings, as they contain no petrified remains. 
“ The Primitive Unstratified .—The combustible elements being thus 
pent up, as it were, under the first envelop, and having but partial ac¬ 
cess to water, perhaps through the still porous strata, yet enough for 
ignition and expansion, and hence, in melted masses, upheaving, twist¬ 
ing, and protruding through the primitive strata, shifted them in many 
cases from the horizontal to their present nearly vertical position; and 
thus elevating a great part of the earth’s surface above the circumfluent 
water, caused the first dry land and mountain chains. 
“Secondary Stratified .—In this arrangement are included all the 
rocky strata that have been deposited since the first breaking up of the 
primitive, many fragments of which are imbedded in the eariier for¬ 
mations ; these strata are of partial extent only, and appear to have 
been formed in the beds of seas and oceans now laid dry. They con¬ 
tain many petrifactions, and are more earthy in aspect than the primi¬ 
tive. 
“ The Secondary Unstratified, are those rocks the results of succes¬ 
sive eruptions which have taken place since the creation of organic 
beings till the present time. An extended projection of these in a time 
of intense volcanic action is considered to have been the proximate 
cause of the deluge, by elevating the bed of the ocean and depressing 
of the primeval land. They often occur in veins as well as masses, 
which gives them the appearance of beds, but when traced out they 
are found soon to pass up or down into a different stratification. 
“ Alluvial Strata here includes the more recent formations caused by 
the breaking down and decomposition of previously existing rocks, by 
the agency of water and air, and which rest upon and form a cover to 
the rocky strata. 
“Subsoils .—The stratum immediately underneath the soil is either 
retentive, not permitting water to pass through freely, as clay, close 
beds of rock, &c. or porous, permitting water to pass through freely, 
as sand, open rocky, &c. A knowledge of the constituent earths of 
the different strata, becomes, in the department of subsoils, of very 
great importance to the cultivator, as it would enable him at once to 
discriminate what may, and what may not be taken into the soil free¬ 
ly; thus the red calcareous or limy sand, is very like the red silicious 
sand ; and farmers removing from a district where they had taken up 
the former to their great profit, have, in another district, taken up the 
latter to their great loss. 
“Earths alone, according to most physiologists, are of little other 
use to plants than as affording a medium for fixing themselves by their 
roots, and for distributing their proper nourishment. The mixtures of 
these earths are various, as the rocks and minerals, by whose decom¬ 
position and crumbling down, they have been produced. Silica, exist¬ 
ing chiefly under the modification of sand, alumina under that of clay; 
and lime, as chalk, or carbonate, constitute the principal earths; mag¬ 
nesia and iron oxide in lesser quantity ; other oxides and salts, in this 
general view, not particularized. 
“ Organic matter alone, or decaying vegetable and animal matter, 
being the principal source of nourishment to plants; the excessive ac¬ 
cumulation of vegetable matter, however, in cultivated wastes, forms, 
with water, inert peat, occasioning barrenness. 
“ Water, having in solution extract, or juice from organic matter, 
being the nourishment absorbed by the roots of plants, in some degree 
as animals feed by their mouths, while at the same time they inhale 
with it air, as animals by their lungs.* Part of it is in a sponge, 
which is only half charged, to show the manner in which soils should 
hold the solution, in order that plants, not naturally aquatics, may 
avail themselves of it; holding it by what is called capillary attraction 
—the soil being moist but not wet. The necessary air is excluded 
when soils are saturated with water, and when too dry, there is no so¬ 
lution—no food ; in the one case plants are starved, in the other, are 
drowned. 
“ Earths, organic matter, water and air, or proper active soil. The 
* Do Candolle is of opinion that the function of transmitting air attends 
through the whole of the vascular system. 
foregoing specimens and remarks, it is hoped, will make more plain 
the rationale of the general cultivation of the soil. Thus, among 
many other deductions, it is obvious— 
“ 1. That plants should have a regular supply of available food. 
Hence the primary advantage of thorough drainage, in retentive soils, 
as it enables plants readily to take up that food which the old system 
only lays before them, and then leaves them to pick a scant subsistence 
in regions of constant chill and suffocation. 
“2. That pulverization, by ploughing, &c. highly promotes the 
growth of plants; as it affords their roots a free range, increases the 
power of retaining water by capillary attraction, and thus ensures a 
more extended and regular supply. Deepening the soil and using the 
subsoil plough powerfully augments the same advantages; this last 
improvement at once converting the adverse and retentive subsoil into 
a drain in time of wet, and a reservoir in time of drought, and ulti¬ 
mately into good soil. 
“ 3. The replenishing the soil with organic matter, in the shape of 
manure, is absolutely necessary for the production of the extractive 
juice for plants. Naturally they furnish this for themselves, by decay 
of their previously existing substance; but, in cultivation, as continu¬ 
ed cropping and carrying off the produce, without manuring, would 
soon reduce their fare to earths alone. 
“ 4. That the value of soils must depend much on their power of re¬ 
taining the essential nourishment, and serving it out liberally, and yet 
with economy, as vegetation requires it. Heavy clays retain, but do 
not part with it liberally. Light sands and gravels neither retain nor 
serve it out with economy. By duly mixing these, the requisite power 
is communicated in the most perfect manner. Clay and sand are often 
found not far distant. Lime assists in either case; and by attention 
to constituent parts, other strata may be made available ; so that in 
many cases this fundamental improvement of the constitution and tex¬ 
ture of soils may be easily effected, yielding a greatly increased ratio 
of production, with a decreased ratio of outlay. 
“Arrangement of Soils. —Agreeably to their constitution and texture, 
in reference to the last mentioned powers and to cultivation, being the 
chief practical points of view, soils are arranged into— 
“1. Heavy. —Tenacious and adhesive in texture, heavy to work.— 
Spec, clayey. 
“ 2. Medium. —Betwixt heavy and light, exercising the due medium 
in nourishment, medium to work in part, but in whole requiring least 
labor and expense.—Spec, medium. 
“ 3. Light. —Open and porous in texture, light to work.—Spec, sandy , 
gravelly, -peaty. 
“ An advanced stage of fertility of any one of them is the loam of that 
kind or name. In describing any soil the comparative degree of ferti¬ 
lity may be given, thus:—Poor clayey soil, clayey soil, and clayey loam, 
and so on of the others, giving also the kind of subsoil. When chalk 
abounds, the term chalky or calcareous, and when oxide of iron, the 
term ferruginous is included; and in a full description, the degree of 
depth, dryness, or wetness.” 
PLANTING.—No. III. 
The following memoranda, regarding the gathering, preserving and 
sowing the seeds of forest trees, we trust will be found useful to all: 
Magnolia. —The cucumber tree (M. acuminata ) is indigenous in the 
southwestern counties of New-York. It is ornamental and grows to 
the size of a timber tree. Its wood is used in cabinet work and by the 
house joiner. The seed ripens in September, and should be sown as 
soon as ripe, in a well prepared peat and sand soil; and if not then 
sown, should be mixed, when dry, with dry peat earth, and in this way 
kept or transported. The other species of the Magnolia are either 
merely ornamental or are too tender for our latitude. 
Linden ( Tillia ) or lime, or bass wood. There are two American 
and several European species of this tree. The red twigged, and some 
other European species, are extensively employed to embellish our 
towns and country seats. Sow the seed in autumn, in a shady border 
of light moist soil. The Linden is extensively propagated by layers. 
For this purpose the bole is taken oil' at the surface of the ground, 
which causes a multiplicity of sprouts to spring from the stool, and the 
second year these may be laid, will take root, and may be taken off 
and planted. 
Maple ( Acer )—The sugar and soft maples are the most common 
and best to plant. The latter is one of the most rapid growing and 
hardy trees of our forest. The seeds of the first may be gathered in 
autumn, and immediately sown, in a bed of light mould; or, which is 
better, mixed with double their bulk of pulverized earth, laid upon the 
surface, and covered with an inch or two of mould, till the succeeding 
fall, and then sown—as they seldom grow before the second year. The 
seeds of the soft maple ripen in the last of May. If sown immediately 
after being gathered, they will vegetate quickly, and make plants the 
same season ten to twenty-four inches high. Both kinds seed abun¬ 
dantly. 
