Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-04-20
From the Evening Chronicle.
FLOWING.

FLOWING.
A general principle, applicable to cultivation,
is contained in the maxim "Nlake heavy land
lighter, and light land heavier"
If clay, while in a moist state, is cut from its
bed in pieces, there is tendency in the particles
which form these pieces TO cohere; the particles
attract each other and as the moisture evaporates
they combine firmly together. The firmness with
which they unite, and the degree to which the air
is excluded, depends much on the size of the pie
ces. If they are foot square, they bind togeth-
er and remain more or less in these dimensions
and the air acts on but a comparatively small
part; but if they are only an inch square, the
strength Of the cohesion is proportionately less,
and the exposure to the air proportionately more
consequently fine division is favorable to fiabty.
The elements of vegetable nutrition in clayey
soils are latent and not sufficiently soluble The
quiet dissolving or decomposing agent of nature is
Oxygen, one of the elements of the air. The OBJ
Ject Of exposing clayey soils TO the air. is, that the
oxygen may bring the food of plants into a solu-
bic state where it is available to them.
By finely pulverizing clayey soils heat enters
into them. Every farmer knows that his crops
require certain degree of warmth The absorp-
ton of oxygen produces heat--and the decay Of
animal and vegetable bodies has been properly
called slow combustion. The heat is sensible
in proportion to the rapidity of the combustion
but the amount evolved in the process is the same
whether the combustion is slow or quick. The
carbonaceous matter in clayey soils unites will
the oxygen, and thus imparts warmth to the soil
Upon these principles rest the advantages of thor
ough following for stiff Soils The particular con
dition of the seed bed which we wish to produc,
on cayey soils is one of comparative lightness anC
| friabiity. Hence that mode of blowing such soil
which effects the most thorough breaking and ex
posture to the air (other circumstances being c
quaD would be most advantageous
In blowing stiff soils the object of dividing ant
exposing it to the air, can be best accomplished
by a narrow furrow-slice. Such slice, from it
less weight, falls over and lies more lightly, an
at the same time cuts the soil into smaller divi
sions, and exposes more surface.
Some have supposed that it was quite as we
to turn large or wide burrows, and attempt to prc
duce the requisite filth afterwards by the harro,
or some similar implement. But this is nearl
impracticable. The harrow only lightens an inc
or two Of the surface, while at the same time
packs more closely the under portion. Road mi
kers know that the harrow is one of the best in
plements they can use for solidifying the earth.
The properties and action of light and Sano
soils may be said TO be opposite in some respec
to those of stiff Soils
The porosy of gravelly and sandy soils caus
them to be strongly acted on by the air, and the
organic matter to be quickly decomposed and di
l sipated. Soils Astounding in clay are too little a
ted on by the air; those which contain no ella
are acted upon too much These facts teach tn
different modes of tillagc are required. In SAND
soils the too strong action of the atmosphere di
: solves out the manures too rapidly, and carrie
them off by evaporation and filtration before the
t can be absorbed by the plants. Hence the fallo,
: ing and repeated blowing, so useful in developer
c the vegetable nutiment which lies dormant in ella
u would be decidedly injurious in sandy and gra
ely soils.
Sandy soils are usually too light when plowe
and require compression There is partcul;
state of the soil, as to lghtness OF solidity that
required, and the pressure given in one case,
:, the lghtness attained in the other, only brings Il
different kinds of soils to the proper degree of col
sistence.
= The foregoing remarks upon blowing are e.
tracted from Report of Sandford Howard ed
tor of the Boston Cultivator, made by him to IL
: Norfolk Agricultural Society, in 1852