Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-05-16
SOILS AND THEIR MANAGE
MFE'r

/
Soils are ofvarious kinds, as heavy and
light, wet aud dry. fertile, and slerile.--
They all require different management, 10
a great or less degree.
Heavy soils, are ofien stronger and
more productive than light; but they require
more labor for pulverzation and tillage.
They canno! be plowed when very wet,
nor so we'll when very dry. Although
containing gfeater or less proportions Of
clay, they may be distinguished. as class.
from lighter soils, BY the cloddy surface
the fields present after blowing in dry
weather; by their cracking in drought, aud
by their adhesi9eness aften rains.
| Sandy and gravelly loans, also contain
clay, but 10 smaller quantity; so that they
do not present The elodiness and adhesive
ness Of heavysois. Though possessing
generally less strength than clay soils, they
are far more easily titled, and may by
worked without difficulty in wet weather;
they do not crack or bake ip thoughts. In
dian corn, ruia.basas, and some other
crops, succeed best upon Them. Sandy
soils are very easily Tiled, but are generally
no, strong en5Igh. Wien made rich. they
are fine for some succulenl crops.
,Pealy soils are generally light and free,
containing large quantities q! decayed veg
e,able matter. They are made by drain
ing low and swampy grounds. They are
fine for Ildiau corn, broom corn, barley,
potatoes, and turnips. They are great
absorbers, aud great radiators of heat;
bence they become warm in sunshine, and
cold in clear nights. For this reason they
ARE peculiarly liable 10 rosts.-Crops plant.
ed upon the mist Consequently be putin
late-after spring fros,s are over. Corn
should be OF varieties, lha, it may not only
be planted late, but ripen early.
Each of these kind Of soils may be varI-
ously improved. Most of heavy soils are
mulch improved by draining; open drains
TO carry off the surface water, and covered
drains, that which settles beneath. An
acquaintance covered low, wet. clayey
:. fed with ne, workof under. drains. and
: from production Of almost nothing but
; grass. it yielded the first year, forty bush.
els ofwhea, per acre--enough to pay the
expense, aud admitted Of much easier till
age afterwards.
Heavy soils are also male lighter and
freer by manuring; by blowing under coat
, ings Of straw, rotten chips, and swamp
muck; and iu some rare cases, by caring
ON sand-,hough this is usually too ex.
pensive for practice. Subsoil blowing is
very beneficial, both in we, seasons and iu
!, drought; the deep, loose bed ofearth II
makes, receiving The water in heavy raius.
and throwing it off to The soil above, when
needed. But a frequent repetition of the
operation is needed, as The subsoil gradually
settles again.
Sandy soils are improved by manurins,
i by the application Of lime. and by frequent,
, lyturning in green crops. Lcached ashes
have been found highly bene6cial 10 many
places. Where the subsuil is clayey,
! which is often ibe case, and especially il
clay-grest advantage is derived from
shoveling it up apd spreading it ON the
! surface. A nejghbor had twenty bushels
or Wuesr--1yurdcTu- .rhus-----~-0<,,
while The rest Of the field yielded only
FIVE.
: NEeRo SrEALER CAUeHT.-The Char.
lesion Courier says-A gentleman who
CAME passenger in the Wilmington stca-
mer. yesterday, gives Us the following par.
riculars Of the capture Of a man who was
:, endeayoring 10 abuuct two negroes fro m
Richmond.
Tie name Of tho man is r. Smith, a
Boot and Shoe dealer, who had resided
some years in Richmond. 1t appears he
had boxed up couple Of negroes, attach
ed as walters TO one of ,he principal Ho.
lels.. The boxes was orGered 10 be put in
the Express Cars, which are locked up
and never opened until their arrival al
,. Washington City, and if the project had
been carried into execution, there can be
little doubt lha, they would haveperished.
Fortunately, however. in removing the
boxos, piece Of the end Of one Of them
:, was broken of, when the woolly head ol
tho occupant was discovered. He was
relieved from his imprisonment, as well
as his friend in "'lo,her box"
, Learning tina, Smith had started for
Washington in the cars, telegraphic des-
patch was sent 10 the Sheriff of Fretericks-
burg, who with his deputies, made him
' prisoner as soon as he arrived there. aud
conveyed him back to Richmond.
1 ouT lulOTuldut SldloS du iiuuiCusc CUu
course had assembled ut The Depot al
Richmond, when the cars arrived with
Smith. Although there were some 2 or
5000 persons collected together, great or.
der was observed. and the officers convey
ed their prisoner lojail without amy inter.
ruption.
The report was that Smith was to have
received sixty dollars for bis agency in The
affair.
IMPORTANT DIscLosuREs.-During tie
investigation yesterday by the Commiss.
toner's Of the Cross Roads, of the young
men who had been arrested under suspi-
, cious circumstances, connected with the
receut FIRE on the Neck. very important
: disclosures were eiiciled from ore of the
company. His testimony, taken down
by G. w. Egles,on, Esq. duplicates se-
veral of his companions in wickedness, in
setting fire 10 The premises of Houston. on
king-street. which caused the Ere Of the