Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-12-29
Improvemeut ON Light. Soils.

Very light soils comparatively reproductive,
in their aiural state, from they de-
hcIeni inshe eenlrnls OF plants, aud their mechanic
cal texture loose afford Enthusiastically
in their early sruges-a sufficiently fra hold. The
former deficiency may be supplied by the applica.
tion OF the ordinary measures but such soils pose
sess lHtle or none ut any substance which can hold
manure by combination, this remedy Of itself is only
temporary. Ii has been proved by practical expert
meu's, that clay possesses the power Of retaining
manures- the alkaer,as ammonia potash ,and soda,
readily combine With clay, aud the gdses which
emitted ny decnmposing aui nal and vegetable mat
ters are absOI bed 10y this substance. The alun.ina
contained IN clay constitutes lis adhesive power
Hence, as a means Of permanently improving light
soIls, clay IS substance OF great value. Ii supplies
principle which prevents the waste of manures,
and holds them IN situation to benefi. crops 10 the
greatest practical dtgree, the time that it
co,recis the mechanical defect of the soil by impart-
ing the requisite adheslveness and sOlidiIy.
Though clay has been sometimes used as an i'm.
proven OF sandy aud gravey SOILS. It's value for this
purpose is not generally appreciated. We believe
that lis application where it can be readily obtain
ed-shouId BE- the fret step in the attempt 10 derive
profit from the cultivation Of such lands. Mr. d. ID.
L. More, near Albany, N. ", wh0 has made one Of
the must productive farms IN the country from a
tract Of worn out light land, says that a load o (
blue clay. such as aisounds that vicinity, is worth
more FIR him than she same quantity OF stable or
yald manure. The late Professor Norton, in an ad-
tdress dehve,ed at Northampton, Mass, ssid-"I
Know OF one farmer Hartford who has carted
clay by return teams from tha city, distance OF
nearly nine dIiles. He assured me lhat it paid him
wei, and that load Uf clay worth, on his soil
two loads of manure.'' w. c. Godlhwait,i ia an ad.
dress dtliveied Springfield, several years since,
sad-''l have tIied some experiments Of this kind,
putting on about eighty cnrs Of clay the acre, or
say three inches in depth. Soule may prefer light.
er dressing, hut in tanning well as eisew here,
'wok once well done is ice DONE The effects of
this course Of treatment were exceedingly durable.
Fields within my know edge tnal we've so treated,
have exhibited the benthcial effects after lapse Of
twenty five years" Within the know ledge Of the
writer, coating Of clay, perhaps two inchts IN
thickness, Was Applied 10 some knobs OF blowing
sand, aud the beneficial effect Was clearly seen 20
years afterwards
But ihe benefil Of applying clay to the soil does
MOI result wholly from the causes above mentioned.
Some Claws abound in erIlzhg elements they a,e
aetna lly rich, and ouly nted aniendmeBt in their
mechanical eaiths, To become hiehk prnducine,
This is particularly true Of the CLAWS in The &c n
neciicnI valley, AMI thnse of the bany BASIN. We
have noticed on the farms owned by Messrs Welle
& Paoi Latbrop, Ia SUI h Hadle,, that where the
clay strata have been cut down by the wearing OF
streams, The action OF air aud frost snon produces
i,abIe soil which yields grass in abundance. Prof.
Enlmons gives the following the composition VI
the blue clay of Albany, analysed by him: