The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-04-18
RUR.EL EC0.st7.uY.
From he Americas Quarterly Journal.
PLOUGuING.


Next 10 the free manuring of the soil,
nothing is of more Importance in agricul-
iure than ploushing, Indeed. it may be
said to rank before nauures. inasmuch as
their application can be of little service,
unless the ground lie prepPted to receive
them, by means Of The plough. |, is no,
our intention here 20 ray anything of tbs
mechanical part Of this process, but simply
10 SET forth s0sls Of the principles upon
which its use depends.
1t pulverizss the sol. Every one knows
the benefits arising from this process. A
free access is given TO the air. and the gas.
es which are always floating in il. The
caibonic acid and ammonia which we have
efien spoken Of as The essential food of
plants, circulate through ell the soil, and
are equally distributed 10 the roots OF plants.
These, uuobstruclsd, can also extend them
selves farther 10 au directions, and find an
abundant supply Of uurmsn,.
The access Of the air also assists in the
decay OF any vegetable or animal matter
which the soil may contain. This, whilst
the air Is excluded, lies inactive, or is con-
ver,ed ia;o substances which are injurious.
But by the action Of the oxygen of the air.
q thorough decomposition takes pacs, and
the elements Of tds plants are restored TO
the soil 10 become the fosd of a new race.
Besides this, there are certain compounds
Of the metals with oxygen; which IN one
form, are active poIsons 10 all vegetable
life. This where they are united with on.
" one portion of the oxygen, bat when
they are combined with more the effect
10 different. Now, when lhe admission OF
AIR is not free, Inc decaying substances
in the soil take away the oxygen from
these higher forms Of combination aud
leave one which is Injurious. Some OF the
salts Of the metals are produced IN the same
way, which destroy vegetation.
The action of the air upon the inorganic
parts of the soil, is not less worthy Of no.
lice. All soils contain portions Of rocks, 10
an undeconpossd stste, which consist Of
elements of great fertility. By ploushps,
these are turned up 10 the cir and thus ex,
posed to decay more or less rapidly restor-
ing the very elements which may have been
exhausted by previous cropping.
The termination Of seed is aided By pull
vsrizing the soil, For this process 10 take
place, The presence Of oxygen is necessary.
Now, seeds buried deep Ia the ground, OF
even sli sht depth, aud sorrouad.d By CON
pact earth, canuo, grow. THIS is siway!
found to be the case in ploushine land tina
la, been laid down 10 grass. New klad
OF paals will start up IN abundance, an,
seed, no doubt, may lie buried in the so
for many years 10 an inactive state, msrel.
for the war! of air.
There are numerous other benefits arts
ing from ploughjng. Ii drains tie surface
Of uperfl1ous water, and on The o.aer han'
coun,eracts the effects Of drought, BY assls
Ing the moisture to ascend from below
IL done ia the fall, it kills the lafN9 Of in
sec,s, which have been laid 10 the groun
10 winter, and also blries the seeds Of man
wseds too deep TO terminate.
BIZ; p!eashlng Gs done in ibis country
is only turning over the surface. Dee
PlOugking is rarely practiced. And W
have often heard men mistake ii for subs0I
ing. Bat the latter process consists onI
IN stirring up The su6soll with plough cor
Arucled for the purpose, without bfingin
any Of il to the surface whereas in dee
poughng-as lower portions OF the soil ar
all brought TO the surface, or mixed wit
the surface soil There are benefits result
InZ from this when prnct.ced right
# IS fac, perfectly plain TO any one
that The ram falling upon the soil and pass
ing through il, must, gradually a; least
dissolve all The soluble substances It meet
WITH, and carry them down 10 greater o
less depth INTO The earth. And not ihes
only, but these substances which are not al
ready soluble, bat hich are 10 finely dlvi
ded state, viII be washed down in the san
manner. We may suppose that, in hi
way alone, a surface soil, when nothing
applied, may from year to year be dtaine
Of its most valuable parts, and al the sam
tims az accumulation Of them take place q
depth below wha! the plough oTdlnafil
reaches. ta1er these circumstances, IT.
under soil will contain the elements Of grea
fertility, whils. the surface soil may DO yef
unprod0ciiYs. II will readily occur 10 an
one, :hat 10 such a case the proper cours
will be 10 plough dcep-io turn op this VI
der soil aud make II the top soil. This
undoubtedly true. The fact is, that III
plough IS very rarely carried TO any consic
cradle dspth-fron four to six inches bein
probably as deep Es almost any farms
pI0ughs. Hence the soil below this will
constantly becoming richer, Wills! the SUI
face becomes poor. Now, If the pIoug
were to bs carried from SIX 10 Twelve niche
deep, this fertile portion would be bruJgt
10 the top aud furnish new soil.
That this is correct 10 principle, there ca
Be no doubt. Yet caution IS necessary
putting It into practice. Those substance
which are valuable as food for pants are nc
The only ones which sink down through tn
soil. Many will be found ~hch arc actu
ally injurious, and which if Brought 10 IL
surface, would destroy all hope Of cror
The solid state Of the under soil prevent
also the free access Of the atmosphere, an
therefore this soil will no, have uadergon