The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1839-11-14
RER.fE ECO.NO.NY.
From the Rural LlbrarR.

HEANS OF INCREASING THE PRODUC.
TIVE POWERS OF SOILS.
The meaus at cur command Of lncreas
ing the productive powers Of soils, may be
comprehended under the following general
heads
/. Supplying 10 tho soil those organic
aud earthly subs auces which may be re.
CURED.
.. Altering It's texture, depth and pro.
peri'es by tlllage and other means.
Changing its relation with respect 10
moisture.
a Changing its relation with respect to
temperature.
Vegetable aud animal matters, IN de-
composing state, appear 10 act IN various
WAYS in increasing the productive powers
Of the soil. They improve lie texture, and
they may be supposed to increase It's power
10 absorb and retain moisture but above
nil. they supply that matter, which, IN what
ever farm conveyed to the organs of plants,
tends 70 nuurisG mem. This matter being
absorbed by The roots of the plants, 1t must
BE- supplied when exhausted.
Experience has IN every age according
~, taught the husbandman 10 supply those
substances to the soil aud tho dong so
forms one Of the most important means at
has command Of maintaining or increasing
its fertility,
Besides The animal and vegetable matter
which Is M, ! or combined with The INT.
neral pari o, HE soil, and is essential TO its
pfoduct.yeness the mineral parts them
selves, ii has been seen, require 10 be mix
ell together 10 certain proportions aud Ia
CERTAIN states ol division, IN order 10 pro
duce the greatest degree Of fertility.
Silica and aumua form the principal
mineral parl Of the soil. II one or oth-r
OF these eartbs be 10 excess, the soil IS de,
fcc,yo 10 is composltIun; II :he aiumlna
prevail. the SOD is too adhesive # the sill
ca nreyad. Il IS too loose. A medium is
seen 10 be ne best and although the precise
proporlions M Nhich the alumlna and silica
should exist have GOT been determined, II is
safer thai ticru be a tendency to an excess
Of alumina than of silica. Further, the
fertility or tie soil depends on the state of
mechanical DIVISION OF these minerals
II would appear, then to be a mean of
improving the composition OF soil, to add
10 il si,ceols matter when It is found to be
too stiff, and aIumtnous matter when Il IS
found 10 he too loose and further TO reduce
these substances to their greatest degree Of
mechanical division.
Sometimes, accordingly, We have the
means otinproyiog the constitution oil soils,
By mixing sand with clay, or clay with
sand. R,t IN practice, the direct mixing
of these two substances for the purpose OF
producing soil Of better texture IS rare
first, because the expense OF this species OF
Improvement IS considerable and, second,
because. N the state in which sand and
clay are Usually available for this purpose,
it seldom happens that the luminous mat
Ter of the one, or the siIiceous matter OF the
other, - 10 that state OF minute division
which 10 favorable TO fertility.
The Improvement of the texture OF the
soil by the admixlure of clay or sand, should
be ever kept in view by the farmer
IIsoherwise with the earth lime, This
can, IN all cases, be reduced by heat to that
state of minute division which is favorable
10 the nroductlveness of soils and hence 1t
can aEuya be applied with bsneh' TO those
SOILS IN winch it Is wanting
-. Limo is sometimes mixed IN It's natural
with alumnous and slhceous matter
N forms mari, substance which is
ptly applied to soils to Improve them
,ehy 10 the lighter soils that mari Is
for then not only is limo supplied,
NINA which improves the texture OF
4. II is by means Of this mixture
Of the greatest improvements on
lands that have taken place III Eu
been effected.
re cases in which even cacareous
excess 10 soils. This occurs
districts where the chalk for
b.. When the earthly stratum
the chalk is " the
becomes