. -H!J; ELEMENTS OF GOOD TILLAGE. . -vJVViikx
the reader reflects, that lor the greatest pro-,
ductiou'wc must have the very best soil, inihebest
condition, and furnlsbed with a, sufficient amount of
'those constituents which enter juto'tue49rmatict6f
the iilAnt. he trill ncrccivc at a dance what n field'
. . , t. - . . v . . .
for improvement we fcavc, before we cnusay that our,
.'cultivated lands are m a state of good tillage. Takc
tlje best lot of virgin abounding with all the
elements which sustain n vigorous forest growth,'
clear it, and subdue its'naturaLwildncss by the plow
share, and tho vcryprocc3Sofcultnresua,Uy adopt-;
cd, independent'of tho exhausting routinQ of produc
tion indulged in, acts detrimentally, and in nWcwfi
years its tilth 13 destroyed.; It may bc.Itglu andpo-
rous, when hrst subjected to the plow, but tne pro
cess of repeated cultivation, by "improper elements,
with the loss of vegetable matter lessens tho Jbulk
of soil, and it becomes hard, dry nn&non-absorbcnt,
a state entirely uncongenial to tho production of
crops, and tho processes of casyUilhigc. ; 4 ?
Another fruitful cause of change in the texture of
soils is, that, as soou as the roots of the trees aro
destroyed their cavities arc filled up by cultivation,
and natural drainage is obstructed.
'. V.rAo whifh wirrt ciiffirinntl v Arv fnr nil flin tinr-
poses of. cultivation when first cleared, from these
causes become too wet, anu tue stagnant water soon
causes the tenacious particles in the soil to run to-
gCiner, JOruilug uu uuuciijmg uuiu pau, muiuiu
bo subdued only by proper under-draining, and in
some localities by sub-soiling. Nature so arranges
all her requirements, that there is always a perfect
and congenial adaptation of soil to the particular
plant" and locality which is to produce it, and from
this cause the productions of the earth, in a com
plctcly natural state, are always perfect The
swamps and the valleys, the hills aud the mountains,
each have families of trees and plants adapted to the
productive elements which their soils contain, as
well as to the particular state of dampness or avid
ity which may obtain. Those productions which
delight in aridity arc never found in damp and inun
dated locations, and vica versa 'with aquatic plants.
These , facts from nature, aro sufficient to 'show
with clearness, that when man attempts to adapt the
soil to the various products grown on cultivated
lands, he has much more to do, to render this opera
tion perfect, than is usually effected by tho ordinary
its injurious effects upon tho aggregate products of
a jcotintry, so prejudicial to permanent prosperity, is
liut a secondary subject, compared to tho importance
of tho primary preparation of the soil, and its per-
feet reclamation from nature, to tho reqn!resents in
cident to the production of artificial crops' If pcr-
fect . prcparajion, iaC mridciat ,tho commencement, it ;,
requires no leimthened' Eduction of figures, to show: .
t -. :
The presence of ammonia in rain water, is : one of;
the great elements of "; fcrtility,tit being furnished ia'vi
a uuvuriii wujr.19 uv growing cropa jasi wucn uicy
are in thostatp'inost needed. , Yho best locations of
natural Joam and! alluviat deposites alisorb'and tc s .
taia this "clement in largo quahtiticsr IIcncev thof
patufar fertility of sucli Bolls, whilst'tiie gyeat im--pbftance
Of seasonable and frequent, showers (o tjbo!
planter, whosVsoU is deficient in these absorbing an
hygrbsc.opic influence.; Ordinary -.plowing: in ttii'f
Souih," on upland docs not bring into Use niofc tjbni
three? Inches: in ,'depth it $6ti Experiments'" haSri? '
been rrade bvM. DaJtbn,'wUh a cylindricarvcssel
IVU lUVtlVd . " UliliUbVVI U.W (WV UVVJIj UflVU tf(..
gravel, sand' and Vollhaving ftH discharge pit6 ar .
the bottom, by wuich to measure: tue quantity o.
v 'I i it i mill run 11 r 111111 w 11 ii'ii inikn nri u'i.l 111 iliujliti
the ton of the soil bein cove"rcd ' with irrass. th
whole burled so tliat Hhe tonwas cvcnitlTth
grouhdshows that: earth that is tnodcratcly moisvV
will take up three inches of W'atcr without carrying :
n ucyona iuc point 01 gauirauua ifiismwuuufcunu,
in the preceding dry mbnth-bcen " taken up by tho
plants anu evaporaicu, anu wuuoui masmg me boh
too ury, uaa so urawn upon 11, xnai u couiu lmoioo
three inches,whieli'iell in;fbur days !
v Mr. Daltori arrived at very satisfactory conclusiong
respecting the anlount of water imbibed by thcTsbii
by, saturation, anu statea mat in tne spnngaiicrmo
mciiing oi uie winicrs bhowb, cuuig loov vi iuis
1 saturated earth i3 to 'water; ints specific avityas1 '
five to three ; dried to moisture suitable tot the fc-
sc argued rthat whetfi it' had lostonesixth of iU
weightby drying, it was not loo dry to supporfrcgw
etation.i ,Whed4t had lost twb-thirdst appeared;
. . ,t r ' . it.' ill.
so saturated contains seven mches of water, and it ,
may part with' one naif of itsater, and no bo.tccV
.dry for supporting vegetation! ttartintO;
spring with thiamount'of watcsay:tbfec:injpic3
in denfh within 6ne foot "of the. ion 6ft thecround;
Roots and plants go down'Iowcr than tli is, if the
soil is congenial to their reception; 'ah 'Vj;-
tCo'mB6nfpperatidnff;pf' iniple
nientVHvill fender porods and permeable ten inchei
in deptli "' of fioil, wmUtextraordinary plowing tnay
'-4
1 1. s
.-Seo,GcddeV Wizo Es3ayi;-;rVi