The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-01-16
FsIR.sL RCO.EO.uI:
STIRRING THE EARTH A RELIEF A.
GAINST DROUGHT.


plants are suffering for wan. Of rain. The
error OF tbs suppos,,ion is well exposed IN
an article written BY the Hon. J Lowell
hea5ed Stirring TIE earth relief against
drougar' repubIlshed from the Massacbu
tetls Agricultural Repository IN the Now
England Farmer, vol. n. ?. 90. The lcl.
lowing is an extract;
In this extraordinary [very dry season,
had a small patch Of early potatoes, plan.
ted N warm ard sandy sol, purposely 10
secure an early crop the soil was, at leas;
three quarters pure sand mixed with some
food for pauts among tho sand The Sc.
we're drought threatened total loss Of the
crop. The Eolatue stalks were feeble,
drawn up scarcely larger than goose qulIls,
expected every day 10 see them wilber ;
all hopes OF crop were abandoned. |
thought they we're The fair subjects Of a
desperate experiment. On one OF the hot.
test end drlest days, gave them thor
ougn poughing, passing The plough four
times through each row first ploughlng
tao furrows from the hills, as near the
roots as possible without throwing out the
seed potatoes, and then returning the loan
OF earth Instantly back by two other fur
rows. No rain interviewed for ten days
10 three days after the potatoes changed
their color, they started airesh as il they
had received the benefit Of ample shower
while no. drop oil ram had fallen.
The dess, which were sbuudan', set.
tied upon the new TUNED earth, While before
the pIoughlng 10 moisture had been apHar
ent.
The las; fact, though II cannot have es.
capped the notice ol The most careless culti.
Eator, mas not been as yet explained. We
can easily see that a sol rendered porous
would more readily and easily convey us
moisture 10 the roots. Il becomes like u
sponge, and is readily parmeab,e, or rather
readily permits the moisture 10 pass be.
tween the PARTICLES. But II ls Dol yet IN.
derstood why It attracts the moislure.-
Perhaps, hoyeyer Il may be owing 10 lis
presenting O much greater surface TO the
moist air OF the night. The fact, however,
which ls what most concerns Us, IS settled.
Perhaps some Of the experiments OF our dis.
tinggished countryman Dr. Wells, phys.
ician Il London, who rendered himself DIS
tinguishel 81 his remarks on dew, may
tend 10 explain tins fact, though L Is no; my
purpose 10 eSam.ne The theory.
Every mau y 30 feels sn interest N the
question can satisfy himselfa, once BY sir.
ing small piece OF earth On time Of Sc.
we're drought and If he does not fad it IN
the morning more filled with moisture than
the unds'uro.l ground in its vicinity, lei
him con,inle an uEbe.leger.
But there IS another mode, ard il IS one
which have never heard suggested, ly
which opprebeod the stirring OF the sur.
face, and makia1 il hight snl porous, IS beo'
efclal in grea, draugh,s. |, : this: light
porous bodies are bal conductors TO heat:
perhaps because they have more air be
tween their In,efstIces. The facts are 70.
miiar to Is. MetaHc bodies acquire al TO-.
tense heat under tie rays Of The sga , so do
stones in proportion 10 their density, The
earth, when sety compact, viii become ex.
ceedlngy hot, bui garden loan, which is
very porous, remains cool al noon day two
inches below he slI.ace. believe, there.
fore, ,hal moving the surface, and keeping
il in lt-hl and porous state enables It to-
resiss ne heg! u The suns rays that the
air between tie PARTICLES Of earth commu
nicates the heat more slowly than the par.
iicles themselves do when IN close contact.
Such Is ny lboory, bu! am an enemy
10 theories. always dIstrusl them look
only 10 facts; and having observed that a
Sigh, covering Of halt an inch Of sea weed
would preserve my strawberries from
drought, which can only arise from its ~.
ing 50 loose on tue surface, have been led
10 infer that The Undoub.ed fact, that sell
ia a loose pulyeuzed stale resists drought,
is owing 10 the sane cause, to wit, the
sIowness Bilh winch the hea, OF the solar
rays is communicated 10 the roots. But
the theory. sound or uusouud, | am persua.
ded Iha! every farmer val iiud that the ire
USE OF bis plough and hoe, IN times Of SC.
we're drought, vii be Of more value to him
than az much manure as that labor would
purchase. have always been convinced
from my experience as an hoHIcUiIurls',
kunt AilC GlEaA sELItt III ~ t4.fI EDLsi5ts
in making the sol porous. lur.jsiug exc.
tic plants we kuo" it to he trle, aud our
flower pots are always supplied with SOIL
the most porous wEieh SO can obtain, The
farmer may borrow light from an occup4.
ton which he locks upon with dssdaIB, bu,
which serves to calculate aud explain The
secrets OF vegetation. - Complete Fgraer.
COAL ASHES AS MANURE.
observed in your last paper an article
on the usc Of coal ashes. have tried them
III VARIOUS ways, oud find them a good ma.
nure, particularly on heavy clsyey soil.
Pui good coat Ct coal ashes On such soil
and Il viii make the soil light and mellow
more 50 than any thing ever tried. There
are pieces Of grass "a I'M. place where top.
dressing with stable manure seemed to have
little or 20 effect but coat OF coal-ashes
acted like magic, aud produced Two large
crops in season. believe It a coed ina.
nure for almost any kind Of soil. Our
Aims House farm collects all The INQUIRE
from the streets IN tie CITY, aud there s al