Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-02-08

From the Country Gentleman, Jan. A.
PULyERIZATION OF THE sOIL.

Most Of our good farmers plough deep e.
nough, but there are few who pulverize the
s'ii sufficiently. We are urgent advo, ates Of
deep ploughing, but We had rather six inches
Of the soil were well ploughed and thoroughly
worked with cutivators, harrows, rollers, &c.,
than have twelve inches burst up and left in Il
halt-worked raw state.
DR.. Wells, of Cambridge, found that the
soil Of the 5cioto valley III OHIO, which We
long been noted for their extraordinary fer
tility, contained no larger proportion of the
elements of plants than the comparatively
sterile soils Of New England, So far as chem
ical composition was concerned, one soil was
just as good as the other, and the only differ
ence being that the rich Scioto valley soil Was
composed OF. finer PARTICLES than that Of Mass
achusetts.
Now, we are not to infer from this that the
land of New England can be rendered as pro-
ductive as that of the Scioto valley simply by
good pIoughing and thorough working, since
these could only break up the coaglomerated
particles of the soil aud not reduce the size OF
the particles themselves, neither are we to an
ticipate that any mechanicle contrivance will
be discovered for grinding the soil into fine
powder ; but we may safely assert that the re-
suits oil DR.. Wells clearly indicate the direc-
ton in which we must look for any great im-
provement in our national agriculture.
The beneficial effcts of pulverzation are at
tributable to the increased permeabiiity of the
soiI to rain and air; the oxygen, caroonic acid
and armonnia Of the air have great effect
i'll accomplishing the organic and in disinterat-
ing the inorganic matter Of the soil. and rem
dering them available as food for plants, while
it allows the rain water to act gu greater
surface, and thus to dissolve out more matter
from the soil. Good ploughng and thorough
working Of the soil, therefore, loosens the soil,
and forms 6ne bed for the plants to root in !;
they prepare the soil in snch manner that
the air, carbonic acid and armonnia can circu-
late freely through it, conditions which are
known to be essential to the growth of plants.
The free admission Of air, too, induces the
liberation Of carhonic acid, armonnia, &C.,
which, in their nascent state, are known to he
poWCIiui oul'Cuto anu " udNo RIcu| uulCkCil-
ing and ameliorating effects on the soil. When
it is remembered that plants can take up their
food only in solution, and that most soils a.
found in the elements Of plants lying in an
inert, insoluble condition, il will not be diff
cult to account for many of the surprising re-
suits witnessed from good tilage alone. A
good ploughing, with the frequent use OF the
cutivator, harrow aud roller, are frequently
tantamount in effect to liberal dressing Of
manure. There is this difference, how ever
and it must be overlooked, the former simply
renders the iertiliziug matter already in the
soil available, while the latter supplies the
same matter from extraueous sources; and
there is danger Of pushing the principle Of
good tiliage too far for however fertile soil
may be, the constant removal of crops, with
out the return of any manure, must sooner or
later impoverish the soil.