Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-10-22


roots IN every direction In search Of the food the
moistnre and earthly salts especially, which were
Indispensable TO their hea3thy and vigorous growth.
The TAP root goes directly downwards, giving OF
Hmes tos depth often, twelvsand fifteen feet. They
are in search Of potash, soda lime, phosphorus acid
sulphuric acid and few other things, which they
collect and carry up to be deposited in the trunk
limbs, and leaves. y. W hen these woody matters
perish, whether in the natural course Of decay or
by being burnt upon the ground, the precious ole
ments of fertility that have been extracted from the
sx6- soiL and from that which lies at considerable
depth, have been brought up aud Incorporated with
the vegetable tissue, are liberated and mingled with
the top SOIL They are likely to be dissolved again
to certain extent by the rains that fall, some
part of them is carried off to the ocean and ire
trevably lost, some is soaked up and sinks to GER
tain distance into the ground, but large part re-
mains at or near the surface, helping to constitute
what we call the soil. The principle for which / am
contending is simply one that is well understood by
many persons, but not brought out with the dis
tinctness in which, from its Importance, it merits to
be placed That the soilfr the course and in
sequence of the events and changes by which it has
been formed is necessarily richer in the clements of
fertility than the subso and that the existing upper
soil is therefore to be retained in its position by all
the decent and honest methods can employ
Amongst these, hill. side ditching and horizontal
ploughing appear to me to hold the first place. The
deep subsoil has been in course ofimpoverishment
ages, and what the final results of such process
| are likely to be- suppose it requires not the wis.,
dom of Solomon to determine and decide. What
we need at this time as it appears to me, more than
anything else, in agricultural chemistry, is long
series Of analyses, extending not literally but
tically, not an account of the composition of par
Gel of soil taken in Edgcombe, and of another from
Rowan but the same thing for parcels from different
depths. Suppose deep well to be dug here in Raj
egh, and the earth examined which is taken, at the
surface, and at the depths of 4, 8, 49, Is, 20, and
"a feet, till we come to a point where the deconl-
posed rock differs but little in constitution from such
as is still solid. The information afforded by such
analyses would be valuable, inasmuch as, amongst
other things, it would settle definitely the question
in relation to the safety of such kind of deep plough
ing, as shall bring the deep subsol to the surface,
whilst that which had been at the surface is buried
where the roots Of plants will hardly reach it.
Most of the farmers whom have the honour to
address know very we'll what is meant by gully
CALLED place in a field. This last is well ap-
piled. They are spots as unsightly, and uncom-
Portable, as those upon working animal, from which
the hair has been rubbed off, and the skin chafed
and fretted until it has become tender at least, if
not Sore person unacquainted with farming, who
visited large field or farm that was in this condi-
ton, would be inclined perhaps to think very high
ly of it. The sides and bottoms of the gullies and
washes, would be seen to have rich, rudy color
the earth itself to be tolerably mellow and pliabe.
will turn in there, he would say, with q good
sharp, heavy pillow, break it up we'll and show these
stupid farmers how to raise corn. And those same
farmers whom he characterizes stupid may be
expected to watch with some degree of malicious
pleasure the result of his operations Such quilted
and CALLED places if not absolutely immedicable and
ncurable, exceedingly difficult to be nursed into
fertility. Differences unquestonably there will be
in different places and counties depending upon the
kind of rock that uuderlies them l am speaking
of what is most common and general. And we can
see the reason why these things are. The surface
that is in these exposed, has been previously
pundered and stripped of its potassa, soda, lime
and phosphoric acid, by the trees which once grew
just above it. when there was soil above it; and
now that the elements of fertility have been taken
away, need hardly wonder that it is barren. The
sandstone that lies east and south of the University
has extensive and valuable low grounds along the
streams which flow through it. When these are |
cleared and brought under cultivation, it sometimes
happens that particular part, which produced well
at first is situated that high feshets, they
cur, sweep off the whole of its upper surface or
soil. The subsoil which is thus uncovered and
brought up to the light of day, has about inviting
appearance as the rest of the field in COLOR tex
ture and other sensible properties, it seems to be
in no degree inferior. Yet while those other parts
are beautiful with luxurant crops, upon the wash
ed portion, even the weeds and wild grasses will
hardly take the trouble of establishing themselves.
stirring of the ground-wn render them produc-
tive They must have added to them those elements
Of fertility of which they have long ago been de-
prived.
It will be understood that it is my purpose to
compare the chemical constitution of the surface
soil only with that of the subsoi through few feet
below as far the of the forest trees REACH
not with that of the earth which has resulted from
the decomposition of the rocks at the depth of 25
80 feet This last may be superior in its adapta.
ton to the nourshment of vegetables to the surface
soil that if layer of earth two feet in thick
ness, could be brought at to the surface from
that depth, throughout the whole of Wake comfy,
it would be rendered so far its capabilities for ag
rculture are concerned, richer county than it is
now. Some experiments on the earth brought up
from the bottoms of deep wells, upon the discussion
of which have not time to enter now, have SEEM
ed to point in that direction, and to warrant the
lief that in some future Gerry remote, age, men may
be driven to the task of tunneling the hills, to de-
rive from them the means of providing for them
selves-the necessaries Of life-that they will then
mine to obtain virgin soil, as they now do for sill
yer and gold.
Some facts stated by DR.. Lyell, in his principles
Of geology respecting certain lavas the island of
Ischia, which lies in front of the bay Of Naples,
lend degree Of probability to what has just now
been suggested. These lavas appear to have been
poured out of the bowels of the EARTH somewhat
more than 1000 years ago; they have undergone .
rather rapid decomposition, and produced soil Of
the most exuberant fertility. Lyell visited tho is
land and examined it in person in the year 1885,
Such" he says is the strength Of the virgin
soil, that the shrubs have become almost arbores-
cent and the growth of some of the smaller wild
plants has been vigorous that botanists have |
scarcely been able to recognize the species" Like
this other parts of the earth may have been, when
they first came from the forming hand of their Crea-
tor and in particular that region eastward in Eden.
where the Lord God planted garden, and put there
the man whom he had formed.
But these are matters of mere speculation, and