Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-03-23
'-ffiIe From iIe .1lJas5 Casis:=.s-...
SANDY SOILS.


Messrs. Ediors-i am IN possession OF
farm. large portion oi Shlch Is deep
sand. aud which has been 50 completely
Exhausted, that in some places the surface
IS neurIy drifting saud. Manure puI
upon il produces n good effect, but lis in-
Huence is felt ouly short tune. IL has oc-
Cured to me Thai the best mothod Of i'm.
proving this soil. would be 20 change lis
character. IL possible. II .oh %1nld give
your opinion on this matter. aud add some
remarks on The best method Of culIivating
sandy soils, you would doubles. confer u
favor on many Subscribers, l.. ). L.
Hnajord Co.. CT.
All soils ia llcir essential parts, are com.
posed oi sand, clay. lime aud organic mat
ter. Il either oi llic~e substances exist III
TOO great proportions. The s"'l will not he
GOOD or fertile. kirwdn says that good
proportion Is 56 u! sand. IL Gf clay, aud
81 Ut calcarIuus matter. Morton says 'hc
proper proportions oirhesc primitive cafllis
Is !rolm 50 TO 20 per cen, of,and; from ~
10 40 Of clay; and from 10 To 20 calcaTe-
Gus matter or lime. We have lnunl hy
analysis thIt some oi the best wheat lands
ol west New York. contained much less
lime than The lowest proportion Of clay
was somewhat greater. i GOOD soil should
be 'ri"blc aud P"rol.s 10 pcr;n't The roofs 10
penetrate .:ec.y: 10 al.ow i!I. supctflGons
waters 10 readily pass through the snos"il,
n,i! n The same time sufficiently tenacious
10 rc.aiu moisture Tor the supper. ol plants.
lis capabiiii. Of retaining moisture ,S ow-
Ing 10 the clay, aud hi, iG1I indicates what
/, necessary To he done 10 change the char
| acier oi i soil. when such Is IS described
by our correspondent. When SANDY soils
are deficient in clay, Ihcy soon decomPose
the manure put upon Them. WHICH Is speed
ly carried of by filtration and cvapora
,ion; the name of hungry soils. has hence
hecn given TO soils too deeply porous and
sandy.
! l.. S. T. ii'hc had 4 suflicieu: supply oi
manures a, command. might render his
sands fertile, ,but Il he wished 10 change their
character, AMI render them permanently
fertile, he must increase the quantity o.
clay. On sandy soils, load Of clay pro.
pcrpcrly Incorporated, will produce :
greater, because more lasting henrii, thar
a load Of manure. OF This. the fine farm
formerly owned by Judge Bucl is an ex'
ample This was originally an hungry
purus sand. To give it ienaci,y, nnd {
proper retention of moisture. Judge Bue
covered his fields with clay from the Alba
nj clay hanks, at the rate Of from twenty
10 thirty loads per acre, aud his experience
convinced him thai load Of such clay Il
contained from 90 10 80 per cent of lime,
was of more benefit than o load OF barn
yard manure. lie distributed his clay q
fast Us drawn, upon the sward or surface
where it was puvcrized by The rains an'
fros,s, when il was puIverized by the rol
Ter, aud further distributed by the harrow
There are other Instances equally ilustra
tive Of tho good effects Of clay in changing
the character Of such soils; but this wa
one of The first attempts at improvement
in this country, and therefore the more dc
serving Of honorable notice. Fonuna,el
there nrc very few instances where ih
T clay necessary for the ameioration ofsuc
soil cannot be oh,aiued in the inmedia,
) vicinity. To dig. distribute, and incct