Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-03-29
From the wo'A,ag Farmsr.
Plan, Food AZ the Surface Of the Soil.

We are continually asked by cOrre-pon'
dents whether manurcs should be plowed
deeply under, OF placed at the immediate
surface. I, !. diacult 70 answer questions
Of - abstract kind; Il soils are under
drained and subsoil plowed, - that in all
their parts they contain at all times the ex'
a., amour, Of humidity which would cover
their particles. then very large class OF
iertiliIine materials may be plaecd at or
near the surface. Those which are not vo'
la,il, IN their nature may indeed Be used as
,or-drrs.ipe, with iull elect, Tor the deW'
and rarns will gradually carry them into the
sol. and in their Passage downward they will
undergo a greater amount OF subdivision
than n buried tar tsrealh the surface while
in their descent they will cone IN contact
with, and 80 feed greater numScr OF roots.
Ifoi a soluble character, they will be car
rlrd on the surface Of particle by mois'arc-,
from particle TO particle, thus imbuns all
,uriace-, and dis>eminatln: themselves - a.
n DO the greatest amount of immediate good
10 root. Of .rowing plants, Not only will
their etEorts be thus rendered greater. but
in their chemical efforts upon the organic
matter in The upper soil, new compounds
will D. formed required as plani'ioci, BE-
fore their descent where the inorganic Por-
ton requires their assistance. Indeed.
thoss prcIina,e- formed at ihe surface and
soluble in their character, being carried IN
o. the .ub-oil deepen the available amount
OF fertile Earth. None ne~i fear any mate
rial Of value will sink below the depth 10
which the soil has been disturbed by the
subsoil plow, for natures laws prevent any
such descent. The fac, that pure water i
90 b found in wells. fully explain. the fact
that soluble matters cannO, leach down.
ward 10 any greater depth than ,ha, to
which the soil has been disturbed. and ,ha,
greater d~,h OF disturbance in the soil Is
called tor, - proved BY every PO',.hOle FROM
which the pO., Of an old fence has Seen re-
moved, tor there the ,uit Of grass Is Away.
the tallcs,.
Line, ifused, should always Be pa, on
tie surface. and never he plowed under, for
the form OF i,s ultimate PARTICLE issuch that
rains aud dew. are sure to carry II down.
ward between the particles OF soil and IN
over-limed soils, in which ditche- have been.
lime is always found resident upon the sur
face Of the subsoil. and therefore. as during
its descent IL. chemical action can only oc.
cur on particle. through which 10 tesccnd',
the ELECT must be greater than II plowed
under, TO- then the portion above il could
not be affected by the lime
Wood ashes should always De plowed In
at the surface. for then the gradual leach
ins downward Of the potash will be brought
in con,ac, with al the materials which can
be teeOuposed, or altered IN their cOudi
tion. by il, presence. In the Use Of super
phosphate Of lime. i, requires TO b. entered
10 the soil only 50 far as will cause il 70
come in contact with humid portions -
tha, it- slowly soluble character can de'el.
op itseli. and cause its downward travel q
bring abog, all The chemical changes oi
which u i capable. az the same time, pre-
sen, the requisite pabulum 10 roots. We
have made .Jme euriou. experiments that
70 10 suggest the fact that pho-Porus i' the
chemical lsh, of the soil. We all know
that a plant grown in the dark has no eol-
or. Toe leaves and flwer, are white, and
when the sol q. fully charged with soluble
phosphate. then ihi. difficulty in degree,
i. remsiied, f5r the leaves are green and the
flowers are yari.d and intense In their hues.
With barn.y yarl manure. and particular
ly in soils ~hich have been before thorough
ly disturbed, We highly approve oi Flowing
them deeply under. tor then the volatile
portions, while rising in the gaseous form
alter Decomposition, will be absorbed by the
s5il. instead Of being los; in the atmosphere,
while the straw, litter, etc, will tend 10
loosen the subsoil, and leave passages
through which the air may enter. And
thi, srai,on Of the so,l may represent. in
degree. the benefit. Of understanding aud
subsoil rlowing. THIS phenomenon naye'
observed M the travel 0f insects in the so'l,
Thus the seyentesn-year locust which IN
some localities has already appeared above
the surface, presents holes 10 The depth oil
four ieet through which ii bas risen, each
one Of which should ehids eveJy farmer who
has neither uhdrr-draincd nor sGbsoil plOs-
Ell hi. land. IL seems TO BE- a wi.s prO'is-
ion Of nature to DO ior the laIy asrieuliu.
ri.i what be la. failed TO 90 Tor hia.elG
on Wells. Mr. William Denloe. hA.
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