The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-05-16
AGRICULTURAL.
Deep Flowing and Manuring

The following, from the American Ar.
riculturalist, is particularly worthy of ut
tention. Deep plowing and thorough ma
nurlng are paramount to every other con
sideration in farming. Without rich
soil, crops will be mcagre in growth, and
unremuncratve, and without deep culture
and drouth, which has become almost an
annually visitant, is much more PERM ,ious
in its effects: ...
AS | now look over portion Of the
Mohawk flats and on the sides of the
contiguous hills, can see that vegetation
is making rapid progress. The luxuriant
grass and towering pines that grow there,
are indebted to the earth for their susie
nance. Deprive them Of mold, how soon
they die; bat enrich the earth, and how
astonishingly fast they grow. AS the
earth supports all plants, how exceeding
ly judicious We should be in the manage
ment of our land. There is nothing which
presents subject of such vast importance
To the human race as this; it can lie class
ell with those that are the most difficult
that can be discussed. As plants are per-
petualiy confined 10 the same portion Of
earth, by being destitute Of the faculty of
locomotion. they are compelled to seek rior
that proper aIiment indispensable TO their
growth, in that ground in which they
Glance to be located. Consequently how
requisite it is for the ground To be loose,
so that the roots can freely extend, for the
purpose supporting the plant by extract
ng the nourishing juices Of the soil. This
condition Of the land is indispensable to
profitable farming. Deep blowing is sd-
vantageous to that land where the top soil
is too compact o" claycy-immcdiately
sub hjdcent there is layer Of sand or other
light soil; f"r, allowing the plow to run
deep, the soi's are in measure mixed to
gciher, thus rendering one loose and the
othtr more compact. 1t is also useful to
the soil which possesses uniform cbarac
ter to II considerable depth, to turn up
portion of it which has been made fertile
ly the nutritious substances, that have
been carried down by rain and melted
snow.
Farmers are generally Ialorirg under
one great halincination 10y bring destitute
of the knowledge Of the nature oi their
land. To obtain this knowledge we must
resort TO experiments or chemical analyses.
| prefer the former; still value the latter,
for il tends to suggest proper experiments
Arabic lands are generally composed OF
lime, alumina, SILICA, magnesia, oxyde Of
iron, and saline substances. According TO
the various proportion Of these ingredients
arises the diversity Of soils. When these
ingredients are rightly proportioned, the
relative degree Of fertility depends on the
quantity ofvegetable and animal substan
ces that are mixed with them. As gen
cral thing, there is an insufficiency ofthese
two manures in our land. Consequently
the effect Of farmyard manure eisexceeding-
ly propitious, nevertheless many Of our
farmers are so consummaiely negligent or
inadvertent, es to allow il TO be thrown
from their stables in places exposed to the
brenching rain ofsrring, and il receives
frequently al the sumner showers pre-.
'vious 10 its being applied to ihe land, il,us
losing nearly one-haIf ofits irir;nslc value
much TO thedetriment cfihe