The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-10-23
TEN CENTS PER- WEEK,
.a3disetl4NUMBER l64.

all times present among the pafJcleS me
changes in the inorganic portions are also gong
on with redoubled activity, for as fast as oxyda-
ton of surfaces takes place, and they become
soluble of water, these soluble portions are car
RED by the activity of capillary attraction, etc,
to new surfaces And these chemical changes
can only occur by such transportation giving
/ rise to new formations. Thus a, feldSpar parti-
Icle yields up a portion of potash, which may be
removed to particle Of Sick thus forming the
soluble siicate of potash so valuable in coating
and giving strength to straw Acidsare brought
in contact withalkales, and all soluble inorgan-
ic materials are presented to each other, so as
to render the conditions for the different re-
quired chemical changes.
i aTHIRD-Those portions of the soil known
l as alumina and carbon, receive larger amounts
of ammonia and carbonic acid from rains dews
and atmosphere, than in soils not so prepared.
| Our readers are well aware that both alumina
and carbon have the power to abstract ammo
MIA from the atmosphere, and to retain it until
consumed by plants. nor will it be removed
from the carbon and alumina by water passing
down over their particles. The quantity of
amnonia when distracted from the atmosphere
must he in proportonto the quantity ofatnos-
phere that may be brought in contact with
these absorbing particles which mbss be
materially greater in well erated soils than in
those that have been less thoroughly disturbed
and divested of stagnant water. The dewsi
and rains, also, while passing throught the
atmosphere, received those gases which result
from decompositions ofall kinds on the earth's
surface; and when they enter an under drained
| soil, they readily pass down instead ofruning
over the surface In passing through the soil
] they are robbed of these gases5by the carbon,
lalpmina, oxyde of iron and by the other ingre-
dients as are capable of receiving and retaining
/ them. -te
/ FoURTH-Roots will penetrate such soils to
greater distances, and hence come IN contact
with larger amounts of such constituents as
are required for their food, than if the soil was
not so prepared.
/ The former propositions render it evident
that larger amount of food prepared for plant
use, does exist ina deeply titled soil properly
areated by under-drains, and the use of the
sub-soil plow 1t is also evident that the me-
ehancal condition of such soils cannot be as
compact as those suffused with water--inE
other words, that they are looser-therefore
that the roots of plants can travel to greater
distances without coming in contact with
cold sub-soil, which would disease their ter
mini and prevent their increase. r. Practically,
roots will travel in soil loosened to a suffi-
cent depth, to an average Of thirty -four inches
l--while all fluids in passing through that depth
ofsoil will be robbed, by the aIumina and car
bon, ofall their 1nan1rial constituents Prac-
ticallg, plants grown1on under-drained and
Isyb- -soiled land, hayeta greater number of ter
mini TO their roots, and are Of greater length.
Y In order to ascertain the length of the roots
of corn, / planted stalk in a.n artificial mound
some feet higher than the earth, and when
grown, fastened it to stake, and then, by
lstream of water, washed the mound away, so
| as to leave the roots perfect in their entire
length. i found that they averaged five and a
thalf feet. And ifthe soil be broken up to the
fdept of but five or six inches, some four feet or
more ofroot, and all the power of contributing
to the nourishment Of the stalk possessed by it,
Iare lost. Corn cannot attain its full size or ex
Icelleneo in poorly prepared soils. r. @i4P as-
FIFTH,--The temperture ofthe soils is mate
| rally, elevated by under-draining and sub-soil
Iplowlng, thus giving longer season, rendering
the soil capable Of earlier blowing
| Every observer is aware that the atmosphere,
during the growing seasons of the year, is
warmer than the Soils and therefore the larger
the quantity ofatmosphere that passes through
the soil, the higher must be its temperature
and, in some instances the temperature of the
soil has been raised ten degrees as compared
with adjacent soils not similarly treated. Dews
and rains also during summer, are much war
mer than the soil, and in passing through it
part with that heat beneath the surface, in
steam Of doing SO while running over the sur
faces in shallow plowed land. ss'l A
Ali the chemical changes which occur in
the soil which are increased as before described
give our heat, and this tends to elevate the
temperature. The more RAPID and constant de- :
cay of organic matter also tends to blacken
the soil, and thus render it capable of receiving
the suns heat to greater depth. The freez-
ing of such soils will be found to occur to q
less depth than in shallow ploughed land for
when winter approaches, as at all other times,
| it contains no excess Of water to be frozen; ard
iduring winter, the melting ofsnow and ice can
ipass down through the soil, and be delivered at
the underdrains, instead of being frozen when
occupying the spaces between the particles of
! the upper portion of'the soil 20 = a.sea =
/ = Soils not under-drained, are rendered cold
/ by the evaporation ofexcess water from the SUR
4 face. The rationale may be thus understood
! If we wet our hair, and then fan it, the head
will be cooled; for as the water becomes yapor,
it takes present heat, rendering it latent. If a
| bottle OF water be SUI rounded by wet towel,
and placed in draught of air, the evaporation
from the towel will cool the water IN the bottle.
4 The same effect and from the same causes,
must occur from a surface-wet soI, where, as
4 when under-drained, no excess ef water re-
naming on the surface, the mass cannot be so
cooled. eas.- sseaas see s
/ StxrH.-The carbonaceous portions of the
soil becomes increased by the decay of a great
er amount of roots. h& 8
: five admit that larger crops are raised, of e
course we h We more roots as a consequence. s,
and the decay must produce larger amount
4 of carbon Practically, the soil becomes dark
Ter, and by analysis establishes the above fact.