The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-23

world. / am free 10 give as my candid opin2
ion, without fear of successful contradictions,
that more talent is at present engaged in inyest
tigating scientific principles with the view Of
-ameliorating agriculture, than in any other
known pursuit.
Science takes hold Of the plow handles and .
points it deeper into the earth, in order thai
the roots of plants may reach to lower depth
for roots will grow deeper if yea will let thent
and the deeper they go, the Inere robust the
plant and the. more profit to the farmer I; it 'ac-
companies us TO the field and teaches US to put
trees and plants proper distances from each othz'
er, that they may have the benefit of fresh Aif,,
and thus bring new foodi in reach Of their leaves
and how much of this sort of fsustenance they
areable to take init tells you of the cause offhe
fertility of mud banks and sea islands, and
where you are to look for soil of the richest
quality, and how you should select with refer
.ence to that point-it follows you into yoor
barns and tells you how to- treat your cattle
and what is the effect of certain Treatments
what diseases cattle are subject; and how they
are prevented and how they are cured-and i
goes with you into the fields and instructs you
In the nature of the insects that attack your
crops, and as to the means of destroying thena.
I put it to You to say, whether ifscience can do
all this, is it 10 be considered either IS useless
or improbable to the farmer?. = - -
But farmers must not expect too much from
science-for science is = co-worker only, ahd
not creator If science teaches how to make
two blades of grass grow where only one grew
before, we must not expect that twill teash M
how to grow four, or eight, or sixteen blades
where only one grew. ~
Science applied to agriculture in England,
has in so years raised their average of wheat
Throughout the Kingdom from 16 te SO bush
ii, 'kak fS Loo a.
purpose; but With Our anti book farming In
Ohio, we have reduced the average of WHEAT
crops from 80 bushels to less than Is, in about
25 years. Which system shall we follow?
In Ohio some years ago, the system of log
cabin farming was abandoned, or rather supsr-
cedcd by more rational sytem. speak Of
the log-eabin pioneers with the respect due
them for their simplicity of manners and many
social yirtues-many of which it is to be res
gretted are now seriously on the decline but
their system of Agriculture was not desirable
one; it consisted in relying on the file for
family supplies of provision and truck pateif
to make mp the deficiency. To this system OF
farming it may so be called, succeeded the ths
log,cabin system, which was to cultivate few
acres of wheat in an Indifferent manner for ths
purpose of obtaining family supplies insteadcf
relying on the rife. That System is now being
aban boned by the more intelligent farmers ard
systematic culture isto take its place, This BOW
system is characterized more particularly by an
earnest cndeayor to improve the soil. This is
proposed to be effected by manuring, deep pfc#1 .
ing, subsoilng, and understanding From the o
scarcity of manure heaps about the barns in
this county, take it for granted that you all
appreciate the benefits from manuring; AaTt
given you an example Of the benefits Of deep
blowing; and now will say = few words in rela-
ton to undertaking. 2 - sssstasfssaA
@ DRAisAar. -9ou9I ma sqod
There are comparatively very few soils 'whick
do not require drainage. The benefits and adj
vantages resulting from drainage even on the
best soils are so numerous and extended in their
details, that it would require volume rather
than few pages to discuss this object properly,
We shall content ourselves for the present on
this subject, by making few extracts from
writers Of acknowledged ability and practical
observation, reservipg what we may hsYe to-
say in detail for separate work. - Z s,.3
It is curious and apparently pafadoxieafs
observation, gays Johnston, that draining often
improves a soil on which the crops are habletoi 0
be burned up in seasons of drought. Yet, upf
on little consideration, the fact becomes very 3
Ineligible. Suppose THAT the surface-soil ex-
tend to certain limo, while below this there 10 &
subsoil in which the water stagnates. The
roots will readily penetrate to the line between
these two soils, but they will in general fcfuss
to descend further, because of the nnwhole=T
someness of soil where water stagnates, (not to
mention the mechanical opposition to their
further progresss) Letadry season come, and
their roots having little depth, The plants rciI be
more speedily burned ap. But lower the level
at which water stagnates, or remote it altogeth<
er by working the subsoil, the rains will then
freely wash the subsoil and the roots will de-
Il ,nfo - hot ,inrhf
it may parch the soil above, as before, without
injuring the plants, since now they are watered
and fed by the soil beneath.
If science never wrote another sentence ap-
plicable 10 our agriculture, the one Just Quoted
from an able pen would be Invaluable, if duly
weighed and acted upon. Many portions Of
the State, We are aware, do not require drains
age according to the view generally entertained
of the word but there is no doubt that MANY
spots, even those of the finest, might be ihn-
proved by the iudieious introduction of dtainss
jalst to create a circulation through them and
we feel perfectly Convinced that persons most
enormously and in direct opposition to all re6-
son and science, in refusing to work upon our
soil and in forcing our crops to grow Id shal.
low plowed soil, with subsoil as hard as baked
ware, and almost equally imperviotls to the
tender roots. Once more hear Professor John=
stcn, for the matter can not be too much en-
krged upon Enable tho water to travel down
ward, and the air from above will follow it,
and take its place among the pores of the soil.
carrying to every root the salutaf5 ihf6eneesa
it is appointed to bear with it Wherever il Dene-
trates. When this is done, the stiff soil win. !.
become mellow, and, when once stirred up to
a considerable depth, more universally porous,
so that air can make its way everywhere, and >
the roots can easily extend themselves in every
direction. The presence of vegetable matter, ri
whether existing naturally in soil thus physis ~
ealIy altered, or artifsiay added to- it, becomes
of double value" To facilitate these benesr
fetal actions, the Professor strongly advises the
Use Of what is called the stibsoil plo~, Hhiehr
breaks up. the subsol and renders it peryious
to the air and water, and still more strongly
the process Of deep pIoicing, which, in addition