THE CULTIVATOR. 
Soils. 
The soil, strictly speaking, is that part of the earth’s 
surface, in which the elementary earths, such as silex, 
alumina, lime, &c. by atmospheric contact, and combina¬ 
tion with vegetable and animal matter, are changed 
into a mass fertile, or capable of supporting a profita¬ 
ble vegetetion. It is evident, therefore, that in most 
cases in uncultivated lands, not subject to the deposition 
of vegetable matter, the depth of soil must be inconsi¬ 
derable. On lands of a rather porous texture, the soil 
■will be deeper than on those more compact, owing to 
t re greater ease with which the decaying particles of 
matter penetrate such earths. The depth of soil, and 
this is a point on which the question of fertility mainly 
depends, may be considered as depending in the first 
place on the combination of fertilizing materials with 
the original earths, by a natural process; and secondly, 
on the artificial exposure and combination of the earths 
and fertilizing matters, that take place in cultivation. 
In a region or on a farm in which the earths are pro¬ 
perly proportioned, the soil may be made by skilful ma¬ 
nagement, and very easily, of any required depth; no¬ 
thing more is necessary than to mingle the proper ma¬ 
terials to the desired depth, and the work is done; but 
such instances are comparatively rare, and in overcom¬ 
ing the obstacles that present themselves to the forma¬ 
tion of soil, the aid of science, and the skill of the agri¬ 
culturist is most put in requisition. 
It is rarely found that, in cultivated lands, the depth 
of the soil exceeds that to which the plow penetrates; 
and the farmer, and the best rotation of crops, is the 
one that most effectually deepens and promotes the 
formation of a soil favorable to vegetation. A good 
coil can not be formed or preserved in which water is 
constantly present near the surface, nor can such a soil 
exist where the earths are so porous, and possess so lit¬ 
tle adhesive power, that the fertilizing materials placed 
■upon it, sink by infiltration beyond the reach of the 
plant. In the first case the remedy is draining, tho¬ 
rough draining. Without this no effectual amelioration 
can be accomplished, and when this is done, exposing the 
earth to atmospheric agency, or supplying the materi¬ 
als in which it may be defective, will make a fertile soil 
as low as it is moved. In the second case where there 
is too little adhesion, the way to convert the earths into 
soil, is to add such substances as possess this power, 
and of these clay is the most effectual. In order to de¬ 
termine the precise proportions of the earths in any 
soil, analysis is requisite ; but every farmer can deter¬ 
mine whether his soil is too wet, tenacious, or too light, 
whether sand or clay predominates, and it is on the re¬ 
lative proportions of these two substances, that the 
easy or difficult cultivation of a farm, or the conversion 
of the surface earth into soil, depends. 
If we suppose that soils suitable for the nourishment 
and growth of plants, are not usually found lower than 
the earth is stirred in the processes of cultivation, its 
average depth can not be considered more than six 
inches; as it is believed that more plowing falls short of 
that depth than exceeds it, and trenching or spading has 
not been introduced into this country, as a part of field 
cultivation. Some of our best farmers have, it is true, 
by increasing the depth at each plowing, brought the 
depth of soil fit for the support of plants, as low as 
twelve or fifteen inches, and their crops show the im¬ 
mense advantages derived from the extra range thus 
given to the roots of the vegetables grown. Parts of 
Belgium and Holland, which, half a century since, were 
wastes of drifting white sand, are now the most fertile 
lands in Europe. The clay necessary to produce adhe¬ 
sion and retain moisture, was found immediately below 
the sand r and was brought to the surface by spading. 
A course of cropping, calculated to promote fertility in 
such soils, has been adopted and with astonishing ef¬ 
fects. In some districts, however, where the sands are 
unusually light, at the end of each course of cropping, 
or once in five or six years, spading is again resorted 
to, though by cultivation, this becomes less neeessary, 
and may in all cases eventually be dispensed with. 
A few calculations may assist us in forming,an esti¬ 
mate of the quantity of the earths, or the vegetable 
matter existing in the soil, and the quantities required 
to render it fertile, when the deficiency is ascertained. 
Dr. Jackson, as reported in the New-England Farmer 
(vol. 18, page 271,) gives the following example of cal¬ 
culating the weight of a soil, and of its manure. 
“Let the specific gravity of a soil be 1,277—water 
being 1: then one cubic foot of water weighing 1,000 
ounces, a cubic foot of the soil would weigh 1,277 oun¬ 
ces, or 79,187 lbs. An acre of land contains 43,560 
square feet area, and if ive estimate the cubic foot of 
soil as weighing 79,187 pounds, or half a cubic foot, 
at 39,152 pounds nearly, supposing we wish to 
calculate the weight of an acre of the soil for the 
depth of six inches, the usual depth of tillage, we have 
a weight of 1,719,620 lbs. or 859 tons nearly, as the 
weight of an acre of the soil to the depth of half a foot. 
If the soil on analysis contain 9| per cent of vegetable 
matter, 3.2 per cent being soluble, and 6.3 unsoluble, it 
would give 81| tons of vegetable matter to an acre of 
six inches in depth.” And the Dr. adds that, in a simi¬ 
lar way, by estimating the per cent of lime, silex, clay, 
&c. in any soil, the weight per acre may be easily ascer¬ 
tained. 
If we, with Dr. Jackson, suppose every acre of land 
to the depth of six inches, as weighing 800 tons, (this 
is the soil exclusive of stones,) then an inch of this soil 
will weigh 133 tons nearly; or one ton and one-third of 
a ton would be required to over an acre to the depth 
of the one hundredth part of an inch. If we suppose 
a soil to contain 60 per cent of silex, or sand, twenty- 
five per cent of alumine, five per cent of carbonate of 
lime, and ten per cent of vegetable matter, soluble and 
insoluble, then the quantity in tons in every acre of 
land, to the depth of six inches, of these several sub¬ 
stances, would be as follows : 
Silex, or sand,.. 480 tons. 
Alumine, .. 200 “ 
Carbonate of lime,. 40 “ 
Vegetable matter, &c.,. 80 “ 
800 
Repeated analysis shows that a soil constituted in 
about the above proportions will be a fertile one, and 
when the quantity in tons of any particular earth in a 
soil is known, the tons required per acre to raise it to 
any given standard, can be ascertained at once. Thus, 
if eighty tons of vegetable matter is requisite to form 
a fertile soil, and analysis shows that it does not con¬ 
tain more than from ten to twenty tons per acre, there 
can be no difficulty in determining the nature of the 
substance to be added, or the quantity required. It is 
very necessary that the amount of vegetable and ani¬ 
mal matter in a soil should be understood, as many 
farmers, if their conduct be allowed to testify, seem to 
suppose that on an exhausted soil, the addition of ten 
or twenty tons of manure, is an abundant supply. The 
same remarks will hold good as to the addition of 
earths. Thus, on a soil containing eighty per cent of 
silex in the six inches of soil, twenty loads or tons of 
clay, mixed with the sand, will add such a per cent to 
the mass as to render it adhesive and productive. The 
application of a ton of lime to an acre, though only 
equal to one-fortieth of that in a good soil, will in most 
cases, cause a material change in the quality and action 
of the soil. The quantity of gypsum in soils is still 
less than that of lime, and a less quantity in proportion 
to the whole mass, is found to be efficient. 
Culture of Rape. 
We are not aware that any efforts have been made 
in this country to introduce the culture of rape, which 
in England and on the continent is deemed one of the 
most valuable of crops, and enters extensively into all 
their systems of rotation. According to Decandolle, 
there are two kinds of this plant; one the Brassica na- 
pus, the one commonly cultivated in Great Britain; and 
the Brassica campestris , the one usually grown on the 
continent, and according to him the most productive. 
In England it is frequently called coleseed, and in 
France and Germany colsa, but in both countries is 
highly prized for the excellence of the oil its seeds yield, 
and the value of the rape cake for feeding animals, its 
qualities in this respect resembling the oil cake from 
linseed. According to Decandolle, the B. campestris 
has a rough, the B. napus, a smooth leaf. 
Rape, as its name Brassica indicates, belongs to the 
cabbage or turnep family, but it never heads like the 
former, and its roots are of little value compared with 
the latter, yet' it forms an excellent green crop for feed¬ 
ing sheep, and when grown for its seeds, is excelled in 
profit by few other crops. It is biennial, that is, it re¬ 
quires two years to complete its growth, and ripen its 
seeds ; being sown in July, and perfecting its seeds in 
the August of the coming year. When used for fatten¬ 
ing sheep, the plants are fed off green in the fall, in the 
same manner as the turnep. According to Loudon, 
the place which a rape occupies in a rotation, is be¬ 
tween two culmiferous or grain crops. “ On rich soils 
it may be succeeded to the greatest advantage by wheat, 
as it is found to be an excellent preparation for that 
sort of grain; and by its being taken off early, there 
is sufficient time allowed for getting the land in order 
for sowing wheat.” 
The preparation of the land for rape is the same as 
that required for cabbages or turneps, and the soil 
which suits the last will be the best for the first of these 
plants. It may be sown broad cast or in drills; suffer¬ 
ed to stand where sown, or be sown in beds and 
transplanted, but in any case the ground must be kept 
clear of weeds, and the plants properly hoed and thin¬ 
ned. The mode of culture is essentially the same as 
that of the turnep. When grown as lood for sheep it 
is sown earlier, is fed off by animals on the ground, as 
the turnep, and wheat is s.own immediately after ; when 
grown for seed, it is sown later, and the seed being 
gathered in Juiy or August, wheat follows. 
In Notes on the Agriculture of Germany, by Mr. Carr, 
an English gentleman, he says the after course is as 
follows : 
1 year, fallow, well dunged. 
2 “ rape. 
3 “ wheat. 
4 “ barley. 
5 “ peas, light dunging. 
6 “ rye. 
7 “ oats, with rye, or timothy grass seeds, 
and red clover. 
The clover and peas plastered in May. The clover 
is moAVn twice for hay, and left two years for pasture, 
when it is heavily manured, fallowed, and again sown 
with rape. “The rape seed is sown broad cast in the 
last of July or first of August. This crop is greatly 
benefited the following spring by dusting gypsum over 
it, about one hundred pounds to the acre. In July the 
seed is ripe, and as the weather is generally fine, is 
trodden out by horses very expeditiously on large can¬ 
vass sheets in the field. The oil of this seed pressed 
out, when purified, is without smell, gives a brilliant, 
clear, burning flame, and is universally used all over 
Germany, in the saloon of the rich and the cottage of 
the poor. The value of the crop is somewhat precari¬ 
ous, because it is subject to so many contingencies ; the 
turnep fly, and caterpillar prey upon it when young, 
and when in flower, a small beetle (Haltica nemorum ) 
often eats away the blossom bud, or lays its minute lar¬ 
vae n the petals, ultimately furnishing every seed pod 
with a maggot which either eats the seeds away, or 
forcing the pod open when nearly ripe, causes it to fall 
out. When spared these calamities, it is, however, a 
very remunerating crop, worth from 10Z to 20Z an acre, 
especially if there is a foreign demand. The straw is 
generally burned, and the ashes scattered over the 
field ; it is sometimes sold to the soap makers who 
prize it highly. Two furrows are now given for wheat 
sown broad cast in September.” 
We can see but one serious obstacle to the culture of 
rape in the northern states, and that is the rigor of our 
winters which might endanger the safety of the plants ; 
an obstacle of course that would not exist farther south. 
That it would be valuable, could it be safely cultivated, 
there can be no doubt; the oil and the cake would in¬ 
sure such a result. In many instances on good lands, 
the proceeds of the first crop have more than equalled 
the price of the land. If any of our readers have at 
tempted the culture of this plant, we should be pleased 
to learn the result, that we may give it a place in the 
Cultivator. 
Ue9t Cows for the Dairy. 
“ Messrs. Editors —I am a small dairyman, and I 
am anxious to have the best cows. Those I have at 
present are of the common breed, or perhaps a tinge of 
Devon blood, red and good looking animals, and I have 
taken some pains in the selection of pretty good milk¬ 
ers. But I find by experience that a good cow may 
have a poor calf, or in other words, that there is no 
certainty the progeny of a good milker will possess the 
quality of the parent. Is there no way to insure such 
a result, or can not a cross be given that will give good 
milkers with a good degree of certainty ? I should 
like to have your opinion on this point; and also on 
that of the best means of obtaining such a certainty. 
Inquirer.” 
Experience shows to make any permanent change in 
a breed of cattle, is the work of time and skill; and 
the procuring a breed possessing the desirable proper¬ 
ties of being good milkers and having such quality per¬ 
manent and certain, can not be expected without calling 
into action the facts collected by a long series of expe¬ 
riments and observation. That it can be done the suc¬ 
cess of Mr. Jacques in the production of his celebrated 
cream pot breed, of which Mr. Coleman has given so 
interesting an account in his Report on the Agriculture 
of Massachusetts, proves. Mr. Jacques’ animals were 
the product of the common stock with an intermixture of 
the Short Horn foreign blood, and by careful selection of 
the best of the breed, for milk of superior quantity and 
quality, he gave them the distinction they have justly 
obtained. That the course pursued by that gentleman 
would be successful in the hands of others we have no 
doubt; and a similar process we should recommend for 
this purpose. 
“ Inquirer” says his cows are good milkers for com¬ 
mon ones. Let him then cross them with a full blood 
Short Horn bull; and the progeny would hardly fail of 
being good milkers. Let him continue the process not 
of breeding from these crosses, but selecting the best 
milkers from them, for crossing, as at first, with the 
pure Short Horns. In this way there would doubtless 
be animals of the quality required, produced; and in 
time these qualities would become constitutional, and 
of course permanent. 
We would recommend the Short Horns for this pur¬ 
pose, because their excellence for quantity of milk is 
placed by the experience and usages of the great dairy¬ 
men about London beyond a doubt. Mr. Youatt says 
that —“ The number of cows kept for the purpose of 
supplying the inhabitants of the metropolis with milk 
is about twelve thousand. They are, with very few ex¬ 
ceptions, of the Short Horn breeds—the Holderness or 
Yorkshire cow, and almost invariably with a cross of 
the improved Durham blood. The universal preference 
given to this breed by such a body of men, is perfectly 
satisfactory as to their value, and that on three distinct 
points.” These are, first, the quantity of milk ; and as 
these cows are kept for their milk, the single fact of 
their being selected by these men of experience, is in 
in itself demonstrative. The second point is the quali¬ 
ty of the milk; and though the cream of these cows is 
a secondary article of profit, yet they are found better 
even on this point, as a whole, than any other breed 
that could be selected; and thirdly, as few of these 
cows are allowed to breed, but are fattened as dried up, 
the fine beef and its high prices, turned out from these 
dairies, proves that good milking and easy fattening are 
compatible with each other. 
In corroboration of these statements we mayadd that 
many of the imported Short Horns in this country have 
proved superior milkers, and indicate qualities in this re¬ 
spect deserving of particular attention in breeding. 
The Rev. Mr. Berry’s stock, so famous in England for 
their union of excellent qualities, were Short Horns, and 
were as highly prized for their milk as for their supe¬ 
riority in other respects. 
