Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-02-14
Agricultural
Improvement of svorn-out Lands, byaFIoughing IN
BIZ the Editor Of the American Foamer

which may have been long in culture, without hay
ing been cultivated in clover, or the grasses, or re-
ceved periodical dressings of barn-yard or other
putreseent manures, must necessarily have become
deprived of the greater portions of their mould as
every crop which may have been raised upon, and
removed therefrom, carried away mcct of the solu-
BILE parts of the animal and vegetable matters which
were therein And as it is also, admitted truth,
that mould is an indispensable ingredient in every
productive SOIL it stands to reason that, when IN the
course of improydent culture it may have been alb
stracted it is essential that it shall be restored, in
order that the soil may be renstated in its former
powers of production. The question then, hov this
restoration shall be brought about is full of
terest to every agrculturalist Those who have am
pie resourceswho have full supplies of animal and
vegetable manures-who have the materials on their
! land to form composts, comprising the elements in
question-need look no farther for the means of re-
storing the needed constituents to their soil But
those who are differently situated-who make but
little manure and are but i'll supplied with the raw
material for forming composts must turn their at
tention to the next best means of placing such mat
tiers in the soil will form mould. What those
means are, is the subject of the present paper We
have often advised the growing. and ploughing in.
of green crops and we here repeat that advice -
and do so from belief of its efficiency, in the
first place. and the necessity of so doing in the next
! We among those who believe, that no soil
can be truly productive, unless both organic and
marganlc food be present theren-we believe, that
the air can supply portion of the organic food but
we are firmly convinced, that the great body of such
food has to be supplied from the earth when the fruit
is forming, and that if it be not there, the plants
grown in it will be but poorly fed We believe also
that the capacity of the soil to avail itself of the
food of the air. depends materially upon the fact Of
the existence in it of moud-that in proportion to
the quantity of decayed or decayng vegetable and
mineral matters which it may contain will be its
powers OF attraction and condensation,-so will be
ITS power to appropriate the fertizing gases of the
air. To be sure, the rain, the hail and the snow
| ma hpIn than fIyt ba Of
lation they will find their way into the earth but
if either happens to fall upon sandy SOIL wherein
there may be mould to fr the gases which may
have been brought down. those gases will speedily
escape and confer but little benefit on the growing
crop because of the want of power in the soil to
tain them The affinity of clay for such gaseous
bodies, would by the power of retention inherent in
it. chemically, as well as physically exert much
greater, and more friendly influence, in dispensing
such food to the plants growing it, than would
sand, whose affinity is dependent upon the mould it
may contain but even cayey soils need mould near
| ly as much, ultimately, as do sands, when the
growing crops come to form their fruits, the earth is
to very great extent, the source whence the SUBJ
stances for the formation of such fruits have to be
derived.
The next question to be considered, is-What
plants shall be cultivated and ploughed in ? This
question is to be solved by circumstances The fa-
clity by which seed can be obtaned-the facility
with which the plants to be selected can be grown
on poor land-and the construction of their leaves
whether they be such to enable them to derive
considerable portions of their food from the amos-
phere This latter consideration is highly important
all that they derive from that source, will be
much to be added to the fertility of the soil, when
| the crop comes to be ploughed in
| In England, and other European countries, there
| are various plants grown for this purpose-the Red
clover, as with us; but then, this plant without ma
nure and lime, will not grow and form such sod as
to make it an object with American farmers to turn
it in Indeed any soil that will grow good crop of
i 4
attention Lupine, Rape, Rye, Sdintoin, spu,ry
and Buckarheat, are all grown in Europe for being
ploughed in-the turnep is also used for the same
purpose In view of all the circumstances which
should operate to determine opinion, to which
! the best plants to be cultivated in country
crops to be ploughed in as improvers of poor land
after much reflection, we have arrived at the con-
clusion that Buckwheat, Peas and Beans, the on
ly plants about which any serious ideas should be
entertained. They all bear many branches, much
and luxuriant foliage and possess series and for
nation of leaves, which eminently qualify them to
absorb feed upon and assmilate in their structures
the fertilizing gases of the air; and hence when
turned under will not only restore to the earth, all
that they may have gained from it, but much more
which they had distracted from the atmosphere
they will all grow upon comparatively poor land
and when little assisted, will grow in luxuriance
For these reasons we believe them best adapted to
American culture, for the proposed object
Let US now consider how they may be best mana
ged at the least expense to produce the great
est benefit. In expressing opinion in this p:rti
cuar we do not wish what may say. to be
ceived as oracuIar, but merely in the light of an
opinion, which believe have been we'll consid-
cred, honestly formed, and maturey reflected upon.
| We would plough in two crops in season, which
we would manage thus:
We would plough the ground inches deep, har-
row well-harrow until we had brought the soil to
very fine tilth-we would then broadcast OH each
acre. 10 bushels of lime, bushel of plaster 10 BUSH
els of ashes unleached the best. and 2bushes ofsal
then sow bushel of Bucknheat, harrow the whole
in together, and roll
| When the Buckartcat into bloom, would
roll, and plough it in inches deep, then run the
roller lengthwise the burrows, and harrow In or
6 DAYS after this, would SOW broadcast the
field at the rate of Is bushels of lime ashes, per
acre, SOW thereon bushels of g Corr" " FnneY."
Black-sye, any other pea, and roll. When the pea
came into flower, would roll them, then plough
them in inches deep, roll lengthwise the furrow,
and harrow.
We would leave the field thus until it was time to
seed it in wheat then would give it narrowing,
to destroy weeds, and freshen up the soil then
bushels of boneS and bushels ofnsbes and BUSH
els of SALT then seed it with wheat. at the rate of
bushels to the acre. and harrow the whole in togeth
| and roll.
| With this preparation and mana cement we be-
lieve, that even worn-out land may be made to bring
good crop of wheat, and bear being seeded in co-
yer, which would seed on it the next spring We
do not pretend to say, that it would grow large
crop as it would had it been MANFRED with heary
dressing of Guano. but we do affirm, that the i'm
movement would be more durable and the soil pla-
ced in a condition better adapted to its permanent
Moderation.
| After the clover had stood two years. would