Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-07-19
sTIRRNc TUE SOIL.

STIRRNG THE SOIL.
The cutiyator will derive many aG-
vantages from careful investigation of
the support yielded by til. vapor Of the
atmosphere 10 his plants. He will per-
ceive that its unvdr'ed presence affords an
additional reason why the air should be
allowed to circulate freely through the
well pulyerised and loosened soil, 10 the
roots Of all growing crops; and let him,
above all, avoid the Very common errone.
Gus opinion, that The atmosphere Is very
dry: the fact is the very opposite. The
chemists laborieus Investigations have
clearly demonstrated, that though the wa
terry vapor varies in amount, YET il is new
er absent from the atmosphere, bat that it
happily always the more aboundS where
the cultlvators crops need lis assistance
most; it is then the most able 10 furnish
The roots OF his grain crops with all the
moisture they require; and if 1t is unable
TO penetrate 10 them, the fault is not in the
wise econo.ny OF nature, but IN the care
lessnesS o. The cultlvaor, who is either too
lnalIentlVe TO see the advantages which be
\ might thus freely derive, or TOO indolenl
10 loosen the cdse-hardened soil, which
\ prevents the entrance OF the requisite sup
ply Of moisture.
! O.,e OF the causes OF the un roductive-
ness OF cold, clayey, adhesive soils, as
Dlvy well remarked, is, that the seed is
coated with matter inpermeable to air.
The lar,ner can convince himself of these
facts by the simplest Of all experiments.
Lei him merely use his rake or his hoe
| on a portion Of bed of wheat or turnips
or any other kind of crop, and let him,
in the driest weather, merely keep this
portion Of soil loose by this gentle stirring,
and he will find that instead OF Pr@judrc-
ing his crop by letting oat The moisture,
as is often ignorantly supposed, something
is evidently ist into the soil for the por-
tion thus titled will be soon visibiy in
creased in luxuriance BY the mere manu-
al labor thus bestowed; and In this exper.
iment, which have often tried, l am
supposing that both portions OF the ground
are equally free from weeds; tha: in ev-
cry other respect, the treatment OF both
The titled and und;sturbed portions Of the
experimental plot is exactly the same.
4 10 a very great extent, some OF the best
of the English farmers have long found
out thes ilcls, and have acted upon The
discovery The horse hoe of the east and
south ef. Eng land, 10 the driest days OF
Summer, may be seen at work III the large
sandy turnip fields of Norfolk and Sui
fox, with UNMARRIED regularity; not Tor
The mere destruction of weeds, but for the
chief aud highly beneficial purpose Of
increasing the circulation OF the gases
and vapor Of the air. The longer
keep stirring the soil between my lurnip
drills" said Lord Leicester TO me, some
years since, '~in dry weather, the better
the turnips grow"
The absolute necessity for all crops re-
ceiving regular supply Ct catbonic acid
gas, will explain to the farmer why his
crops always yield an Inferior Produce
when they are surrounded by thick plant
atoms Of forest trees; and why the poi
lion Of all kinds of plantations growing
on the side If the Geld the most exposed 10
winds is almost always of the most Iuxu-
rant growth; it will explain 10 him the
reason why many skilful farmers drill
their corn SO thai the most prevalent winds
may, with the more facility, circulate aions
} the rows, instead OF across them; and
why all farmers find that their crops pros
per better in moderately windy weather
) than ia Gains since in all these inSran
ces, and in many other well known popu
lar observations Of the same kind, the co
pious supply Of the carbonic and Oxygen
gases of the atmosphere is naturally i'm
peded by thick plantations Of other vege
table substances, and promoted by III,
winds.
The consumption of oxygen gas by ,h'
roots of plants, and their increase 0
, gro Glh and vigor. when their usually i'm
peded supply is increased. is eqnall,
: iraught with instruction to The cuItivator
! for it serves 10 explain the reason VIII
e stirring the soil around the roots OF tree:
u according TO the fashion of he early vim
e AMI olive culuvators of Italy, or merel
u disturbing the rows of cabbages and ,uT
n nips. as practiced by the best Englis
l farmers, is attended with decided adVani
70 age. since il suffers the air TO have NOR
'e free access to their roots. 1t renders al
~ parent, too, one of the chief reason VII
y mere subsoil blowing ADDS so -materiall
d to the luxurian: produce Of even the poo
p est cultivated lands, since, as the soil
is deepened and pulverized. the atmospher
IS more freely and more copiously penetrate
q. to the roots OF the vegetation which iIsuI