The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-01-30

4
nm'na io have any thing 70 do with il,
consequently We NUT look 60 other esus.
ses. Al the same time | have seen lail.
ures equally as great on light soils as on
slrong clays.
As an instance Of The benefis derived
from subsoiling sand or lighl erayelIy land,
q level field was ploughed z inches deep
with The common plough. and followed by
The subsoil plough fourteen inches more:
two lands were lefl undone in the middle
of he held; the operation was performed
m November. l6s5. In 1876, 4he land
was sown with Swedish iurnips on ridges,
The ridges crossing The subsoilins; ihe
whole Of The field was mznured alike with
bones and fold yard manure; nothing par.
iicular was noticed in the iurnips until
the bulbs began lo form in the autumn,
when Il was evident those on the subsoil.
ed land were grnwing the fastest.
Late IN the autumn, in crossing the field,
The Two lands undone had the appearance
oi hollow or valley across the field, be-
ing much less in both bulbs and tops. and
four tons per acre less in weight. The
harley also showed the Two lands conspi.
cuously. and the seeds this summer have
stood the dry months much beller Than
where the land was not SUBSIDIZED. 4 could
give u some other evidence, but I do no,
consider il requisite.
We will now examine the cause of sue.
cess and failure on light coils.
IL 10 well known that soil may be
rich in mineral constituents requisite for
the growth Of plants. but from the state of
combination in which these minerals are
found. cannot be sssimilated BY plants
as foodi consequently, in their present
state, are Of lilllc use. Science teaches
us how to bring these constituents into
use, and the more we know iflhe simpler
we find the process.
These minerals. in their present state
of combination, are termed dormant"
and in many cases only require exposure
10 she air; for il is well known that the
hardest rock in time becomes disiniegraied
by The action Of the air. which is princi-
pally attributed TO the presence Of carbo-
nic acid in the atmosphere. Il is 10 the
influence Of the atmosphere TO which |
attribute large portion OF the benefit de-
rived from subsoiling sandy soils. but moi
entirely; a. j, u well known lhal the laws
Of graviisiion carry all bodies heavier than
the atmosphere downwards. consequently
much Of The valuable properties Of ma
nure are carried down into the subsoil,
particularly a porous one, by pcrcolation.
porous one. by pereolation, and are alier
placed beyond The reach Of she roofs Of
plants ordinarily cultivated.
BY the process Of subsoiling. the at. is
admitted 10 greater depth. and in larger
quantities than before; The carbonic acid
Of the atmosphere comes in contact with a
larger portion oflhese dormant constituents
Of the soil. and by chemical action forms
them into a state for the assimilation Of
plants.
am also fully convinced that much
depends on the time Of year when The ope-
ration Of subsoiling is performed, particu.
larly on sandy soils. As an instance Of
This, during the process Of subsoiling early
in January. the operations were stopped
by frost; other circumstances occurred TO
prevent the completion Of the field until
the end of March; The field was sown in
lurnips, which told to the row where the
sioppage took place, the others not being
any better than the part left undone.
have often observed that The greatest num-
ber Of failures on sand land have taken
place from this Circumstance.
The best period for subsoiling is from
The end Of October 10 the end Of January,
as the land has then the full benefit Of
frost and snow.
Some persons run the subsoil plough
down every fnrrow; this do not think is
necessary, and il prevents many who can
oIly command three or four horses. from
the operation NJ all. The system
recommend is TO clear The land Of weeds
and rubbish as early in the autumn as
possible, plough il once over, dragil deep.
IL, then throw The land into winter ridges
with the common or double moldboard,
plow as deep as possible, after which run
he subsoil plough down each fnrrow TO
he depth of fourteen or sixteen inches;
nothing more is requisite until the spring,
when il is prepared for ,uInips. lf j. is
Intended to subsoil for barley, the opera
ion must be performed as soon as the
urnips are eaten off; hut for wheat. the
I'D system OF the subsoil plough following
he common plough down each furrow is
II ,ha, can generally be done. I
am inclined 10 believe that many Of
he cases OF wheat being lhrownont OF the
and BY frost, may in great measure be
essened by using The subsoil plough. asl
ave observed that j, never occurs iosuch
n extent on land that has been subso'led.
1t is caused principally by the expansion
E the matter contained in the sill during
he process Of freezing; and, as most farm.
RS are anxious 10 have what they term
rm bed for Thin wheat. the light soil