Lewisburg chronicle, and West Branch farmer. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1850, 1850-03-27
THE FARMER.


Prom tie Aaiae FWm~.
Do Sandy Lands leach the 8anuss
through them?
This question has herstofoFs caused con-
siderable diseussion amoag farmers. but
there have been 10 very sccurste expert
men,s to settle the question:. II 10 however
we'll settled tha. such kinds Of soils are -
sandy and porous do not retain msnures
so long, or, in other words, need manuring
of,ener than those which coniain large
quantity ofclay. This may not be owing
10 the manure dissoivine BY rain. 'rickling
through the soil. and passing of out Of the
way. II 10 a common semaik that warm.
sandy soils feel the manure quicker. and
,ha, the 6rst crop after the manure 10 aP'
piled is larger than ,he same manure would
eaase, 10 a re,sn.ivs soil, no more fertile
than was the sandy coil.
In the las, number Of the Working Far.
mer, the editor has SONS remarks upon the
subjec, Of rendering sands resen.ivs. by ad.
ding clay, which we copy in part. "lt is
= common srror," says he. ito suppose
that in sandy LOANS manures in solution
leach downwasds and thus duringa growth
Of single crop iull manuring seems to
pass from the soil. The facts arc. that
free sandy loans. when containing ma.
nures ploughed under but a few inches.
receive the atmosphere. dews, heat OF the
sun, &C., very freely. and hence the ma.
nures are dscomposed more rapidly than
,hey can be dscomposed by plants. and
the organic manures pass Of into the gas-
eous form and escape into tho atmosphere.
while the inorganic portions in solution
sink down to undesirable depths. Tocor.
rect thin evil without rendering tho soil
moro difficult to work, ~ have only to
add large portions Of earbonaeeous Dsoifers
such a. charcoal dust or tan bark, docon
posed peat. decompesed sawdus,, burnt
bones, after being used BY the sugar Re.
fineries, &c. &c. Any, or oil these in
gradients, will render sandy soils retensivs
Of manures without altering them into soil'
more difficult Of tillsge, and sfter q sufh-
eiest quantity Of carbonaceous matters
have been added, they will last in the sol
City years. re-performing their ofiics Of 70
tanning the gases until wanted for the uss
Uf plants. to each new manurine !, and du'
ring the whole time will assist ia retaining
new portions of ammonia from the atmos'
phere. which clay alone would no, do. Il
these carbonaceous matters BE- added u
the msnures in compost, they will retair
all their parts which might otherwise b
lost during decomposition ; nor does the
benefit end here, for If six bushels Of com
mon salt be added to the acre, the sandy
loan will be rendered sufficiently rstsnsivs
Of moisture and free from grubs and win
worms, nor wiil the inorganic consiitusns'
Of manures filter down and pass beyond
the point of use As readily a. il these ma
pures were not in the soil.
To prove this feet, gil tub with sandy
loan, containing fair portions Of carbonacs.
Gus matters, throw upon the top Of it one
thousand GALLONS Of water in which ten
r--...s. Of pu,usn or SODA has been dissolved
lot the water leach through the soil ia
the tub an5 run out Of the bottom-then
evaporate the water to dryness. and il will
be found that the alkali 10 not in the water
but remains in the soil. Mako q similar
experiment with the soil simple, without
the carbonaceous matters. and the aIkali
will be found in the water"