Tin: ARATon,
coal irc used, or cither, the mechanical condition
of tbq clay .is materially improved by its becoming
less adhesive, more ready to paw water, and equal
1 capable of retaining manure. When the ma
nuring has been neglected in the fall, it may be
phiccd in the deep - fuirowgiw-rlyXLngj
'covered by splitting the .ridges, the aftor .cross
plowing of which will tend to mjx it thoroughly
through tKo wholo mass of soil. Working Far
fMT,
MULCHING FOP WINTER.
TilOSK who have largo quantities of salt -meadow
eras of little value, such as thcec siuare rush
etc., should slightly mulch their gram crops. Such
prapticc will prove a great protection during win
ter; and a single ton of such Cheap sail hay may
bo spread sp thin as to mulch two or more acres.
If led in the spring, it will not interfere with the
growth of the grain. It may be raked oflf, howev
er, if desired, and used as bedding for cattle, In
deed, a mulch of such cheap material may bo
placed on any plowed soil with profit. Many far
mers who arc in the habit .of spreading long ma
nures thinly over the surfocc of .their gross and
other fields, in late foil or early winter, erroneous
ly attribute the increased crops of .tho following
yeurf to the mnuurc which may be wa.shcd into the
soil. A greater part of the benefit of such prac
tice, arise, from the long, litter contained in the
manure, acting as a-mul'eh ; and the same benefits
vrmltl nriv from -a ton-coal in 'r of hs.s vhIuh of mn-
. i - n , ; . , iir ... . n . :.ir " ' Av-:tT!
terial. Kverv one mul have 6Wvel that rrtiold V """."' " tsl "!usl ? uwune m .ctmu;
hoard lvinf o".i tiro eras 4l,ro,1!r, tfie winter, nn.1 mentally, if iho people , pnrsuo the present-
( J wj .v.
EXIIAUSTI02 OF SOILS.
BY S. PCD LET. ...
Tin: following is from the Farmer and Planter,
of Pendleton, S. C, by Mr. S. Dudley, Iatelpupil
with Mr. II. a Vail. V
Evury farmer is well aware that soils after years
of ordinaYy'cultivatton, decline in 'productiveness,
and ultimately become " worn out" or exhausted.
Some sdib' require but a few.years, and others' re
quire many years, to produce this exhaustion ; tho
firmer may have been in an unproductivestatb
when tho cultivation commenced; else there may
have been a deficiency in the materials applied fur
the growth of the plants j the latter may have been
in a -productive state aUhc commencement of cul
tivation, else there" may have .been only an ordina
ry supply of plant constituents, . .
, The former is frequently . surprised that his in
tended crops fail when he has exercised particular
attention in the application of All his mfmnres.
But experience teaches us that the majority of
failures in forming may be traced to th6 imperfect
understanding of tho judicious management of
fertilizers. Hence the importance of directing tho
formers to "the subject of inefficient manuring,
which is Ihc fundamental cause of exhaustion.
It is well known that many pfcople arc leaving
the Atlantic States, " for the West," because the
soil in said Slates is so unproductive. It is also
generally known, that tho once fertile valleys of
New 1 ork are waning in productions. It is also
removed in the spring, will 'cause the new'growth
during tho following summer to 1m? larger than the
surrounding grass, and artu from no other cause
'than its action as. a mulch or surface protector.--
The chcap'hay spoken of, will perform the same
service on a mors extended scale. Pear trees tnav
be mulched wilh'profit j but this should not.be
done until after they have dropped their leaves, as
early mulching prevents their passing into flie
nominal statq. sufficiently early, and thus causing
them. to take tip a larger 'amount of vatcr dnfing
tho foil which is caught between t he bark nnd
WooUof tlie tree, and froen. during winter, caus
ing ; that disease known as winter blight. v Our
practice is to remove, the Hummer ,mu!ch late in
September, and notrto restore it again until winter
nas iairiy mivio its. appearance-, inn removal oi
ruinous modi: of -culture which is practiced to a
great extent throughout thc.eduntry.- . '
The following upon the, subject, is taken from
Liebig's recent work : ".The lnineral.sulstaneea
i found in the asdics of - plants, were originally in
! gradients of the soil. In the. shape of the agri
j cultural produce of a field, or in the crop, tho en
j tire amount of these ingredients of the.soU'which
I have become ingredients of the plants, are remov
ed from the soi!.,, Now it is evident that we must
return to the soil the game quantity and quality of
ingredients n's the crop removes, k' we wouM con
tinue the soil in a fertile condition. As this 'has
not been done with most' formers, it is "obvious
why soils decline or become eutirbly unfit -for the
production:; of cultivation.''
the mulch arrests the -rowlh mn after the re- There has bedn a general disposition to borrow
moval ot the fruit! ana when all activity of 4he P t. ., ... ... . r , , :
tree has ceased, indicated hr thoValling uf the l,nf, ! r lht ml' MUhout a owledgc of the mode of
ho mulch may l .reato 1, rpayiiTg : but this repaving important with hon-
spring growlh.- lJ"orkiuf Farmer: n wtn, And, x-.hui. U? .oil ;wiR c'ri-tniul) 'tell it