Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-12-04

over Is or lS inches, MIGHT olive il
that very degree Of moisture which is best fitted
to promote vegetation. In this connection let me
call your attention TO an incidental, though in
THIS part OF the country, by no means an unim-
portant effect OF this equalization Of the supply of
moisture, viz: the security more or less perfect
which u gives against the washing OF the land.
Ii Is not necessary that should 90 into a parti-
cuiar examination Of this subject ;-your own OBJ
servation taken in connection with the remarks
Just made, will satisfy you that sub-soil plough
ing, more especially if used in connection with
the other appropriate means such as horizontal
ploughing. hillside ditching, and giving to the |
soil consistency by enrching it with vegetable |
matter, cannot hut prove effectual to a great ex-
tent in preventing that ruinous washing to which |
the lands of every billy country must be subject,
and which often ruins land in much shorter time
than the most scourging system OF cultivation.
Second. Besides these effects, which NAV be
called by way OF. distinction, the mechanical eff
fects Of sub-soil ploughng, there are certain chem
zeal effects, which are often of equal importance.
1t would not DO proper for nre, at the present
stage OF our progress in the study of agricultural
chemistry, to attempt full exposition of the ma
ture Of those effects all shall do is to make
few general remarks on the subject. clay sub
soil in country adapted to the growth of wheat,
such country as ours, always contains certain
mineral substances OF great importance as food
tor the different kinds of grass and grain especi-
ally wheat and corn, which as they exist i'm the
undisturbed sub-soil, and not in a condition 40 be
used by plants; but which by exposure to THE
action of the air and moisture, by which certain
chemical changes are effected in them, are brought
in a condition to be serviceable in high degree.
1t is this which lies at the bottom of the differ
ence in effect often produced by deep and su6-soH
ploughing. In deep ploughng, this sub-soil,
unprepared by exposure to the action of water
and the atmosphere is brought to the surface,
and the growth of the crop receives a check at
the very commencement OF its life from which it
cannot afterwards recover. Lit is true, that en-
posure for year or two, will restore fertility to
soil thus treated, and often bestow upon il in
creased fertility, but then the one or two crops
are lost at least. All this injurious effect is "a
voided by sub-soil ploughing the sub-soil is
exposed TO the action of the air and water, with
out being brought 10 the surface in the first in
stance, and then afterwards. by gradually deep
ening the soil pioushing, Of may so call it by
way Of distincton) it is brought to the surface in
proper condition. Again, the sub-soil, some
times contains mineral substances, which from
injudicious methods OF cultivation have been ex-
hausted from the soil. by bringing this sub-soil
into use new supply OF these substances may be
obtained, which by judicious and careful use
may be made TO last for an indefinite length of
time. AS mean 10 resume this subject of the
chemical effects of subsoiling at future day,
when we are better prepared TO enter intelligent
ly upon its examination, | shall add nothing more
at present.
Allow me now to make few general remarks
upon the subject OF soil ploughing.
LIST. There can be no doubt that the effects of
sub-soiling will be very different in the case of
different kinds OF sub-soil. The creates, benefits
are to be expected in stiff clay sub-soil, and the
least in sandy and gravelly one. Indeed, in
the case OF very gravey sub-soils, believe it
would prove Injurious.
s1pb ha affa h.,
sub-soil, in the of different plants. The
beneficial chemical effects on clay sub-soil such
as ours, will probably be found greatest in the
case OF wheat and corn; the beneficial mechani-
cal effects will probably be found to be greatest
In the case of plants with long tap roots, such
as clover. have number of young peach-t trees
In my yard, of the same age, and ali placed i'm e.
qualy favorable circumstances, excepting in the
one particular, that one was set where the sub
soil had been broken up to.a depth of or feet.
That tree, now three years old, is nearly twice
the size of the Others
3rd. The beneficial effects of sub-so plough
Ing are not dependent, like some other things,
upon peculiarly in the season, but will be equally
apparent whether the season be excessively wet
or excessively dry. Not that it will enable us 10
dispense with Gtching in the case of swampy
lands, nor with the addition of clay or some 9TH
er similar substance when the soil and sub-soil
are excessively porous. 1t is not 10 take the
place of other means of permanent improvement
in such cases but to be used in connection with
them.
9TH. There is no necessity of su5-soiing land
every year. Once in from to 7 years. accord
ing to the nature of the subsoil, will be often e.
nough. Once in the course of rotation of crops,
according to the system of cultivation in COM
mon use in this country, say, in the cultivation
OF the corn crop. The gardening operation call
ed trenching, is nothing more than sub-soilinr
ha no ,l,al
performing the operation is the following, viz
Lay off strip upon one side of the bed intended
TO be trenched a yard wide digging a ssspit'
deep, throw the soil into the walk then DIG
ging the sub-soi thus laid bare "spit' deep
also, proceed to the next strip of yard wide the
sol! OF which is to be thrown upon the prepared
sub-soll of the first strip, and so on, until you
come to the last strip, when the soil thrown into
the walk from the first one, must be brought a.
round to cover the sub-soi Of this last one
9Th. No injurious effects are likely to result
from sub-soilng upon such clay land as most of
ours in this part of the country, so that the great
est loss to which it can expose the farmer, IS the
loss Of labour employed in effecting it.
9th. In order that we may have tangible es-
innate before US, let us suppose that the average
gross yield of an Of land throughout
years rotation is dollars; that the cost of sub
soiliDg is 81 so per acre, that the cost of sub
soil plough is Il dollars g is the Baltimore price
for two-horse ploughs) and that this plough lasts
five years, that one such plough would be requir-
ed for every so acres cultivated upon a 5 years.
rotation system "a little calculation will show
you, that if the average increase of crop is equal
to one.sxteeDth, so cts. per year per acre, the
clear profit is about so per cent upon the outlay;
u the increase is one-elghth, a little over a
bushel Of wheat per acre for the wheat crop and
Cor the other crops in proportion, the clear profit
is about 200 per cent; that if the increase is one
fourth and the cost of subscribing dol. per acre