Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-02-01
rmm the wo,king r.rmsr.
Ab,orptive Power Of Earths aud Soils.

agency are we indebted Tor the Tact that
wells and springs do not give forth unwhole-
some and filthy water. l, seems TO be the
law OF nature that these constituents. when
properly disturbed, should be capable OF
ab.,rac,ins from water all organic and most
Of the inorganic substances held in solution.
Thus. de~s and rains during their fall. abb
s,raet from the atmosphere all those eIuda-
,iOus which are gwen oG from the surface
Of nature, and on entering the soil, aud
coming IN eontae, with carbon and alum'na
yield up these matters, and pass on as pure
water, to greater depths, supplying wells
and springs. To this iae, Is to be attrIou'-
cd the superior quality oi those so'ls which
are rerle,e with these constituents. An old
garden soil. we'll charged with carbon as
the re.ul, OF large amounts OF decaylns or
sanic matter. is far more capable OF retain
ing manurcs until consumed by plants, than
ordinary soils.
Sandy soils. usually known as leachy. are
rendered reien,ise by the addition Of clay or
carbon, aud are thus rapidly improved. no,
only from the amendments added being
rendered more eheieni, but by the continued
supply furnished frOm the atmosphere by
rains. dews. and the direc, absorption Of
gases.
No mistake is greater than TO suppose
,ha; the psdiIed clay in an undi''uroed
condition Of the sub.soil, holds manure
simply by Us action ~ an impcneirable
mass, II two per cent. OF clay be mixed
through ordinary ssa sand. IL will abstract,
from the brown liquor Of the barn'yard,
filtered through the mass, all matters held
in solution, and the water will pass out FREQ
from odor and color. Ai,er soilsare rep!cte
with progressed inorganic matter, such as
are given IN from decaysd plants aud which
would have constituted their ash Il burned,
they have peculiar hygrOme,'ic power. and
will retain water against tho suns influence
20 surprising extent. IL is for this reason
that well prepared soils are capable OF with.
standing drou,bs, particularly after they
have been long used in a liberal and judi
siOus production Of crops We have had
some examples of this kind during the last
year. and even Of soils dcdiient in ihsm.
selves of the proper Inorganic constituents
in PROGRESSED form. and to which such
constituent. have been added.
Hundreds o! planters Ia the South who
have used the Ni,roseniIed Super'phospha'e
Of Lime on the part Of their cotton crop,
have escaped thereby the Ill eject. Of drouih'
for this mx,ur has q hycrometric power
too palpable 70 DO mlsanders'oOd. Apound
Of the phosphate exposed TO the atmosphere,
will absorb in single day a considerable
amount Of water; therefore, when divided
through :he soil i, is continually receiving
moisture from the atmosphere and yielding
i, 10 plants. and as each particle i' abstract
Ell by the plant. new portion Is received
from the atmosphere, ant in many Ia.
stances, where but small quantity had
been applied To the acre, the eject Of drou'h
has BEEN avoided. while adjacent lands have
los, their crop. for want OF it, application.
Ia very severe drOuth. this might not prove
an entire remedy. but in such drOu,hs a.
have occurred in many parts OF the South
the past year. the remedy has been Efficient.
We have even known similar effects 10
occur where muck has been used ~ d.
ylier Tor various manurcs, alter ha'lns
been prepared with the iiTue and sal! mix
Iurc tor the chloride Vt lIms aud carbonate
OF soda haze each thi. peculiar hygrome,rie
power, and intimate division through the
soil has saved macy crop from the effects
Of partial drouih. Even slight dressing
Of common sal. often produce similar re-
suits. When barn.yasd manure- are un-
dergoins decay 10 the soil, the present Va
ried hygroue,ric conditions. Those which
have been fairly decOmposei without, IRE.
faasiHg. aud IN that condition known Is
cold, before their application to the soil.
continue 10 pre-en, hysrOme,ric powers for
a considerable time, indeed. until they have
entirely Lost their ubetious texture: while
long manures plowed under in sandy soils.
frequently cause crops to b, readily injured
by sli:hs drouth. All the salts resulting
from the combination Of phOspbOuc acid
with the alkalie.. as.,st soils to receive and
retain moisture. All soils which are under
drained aud sub soilsd plowed, are fully
protected from drOuth, for the reasons stat
el in our article on " Drouths ia Texas,
in the November number of the las, volume,
To which We would refer readers whose
crops suffer from trou,h. Ia soils contain.
ing the salphuret Of iron, by the teeOmpc-
,itiou Of which small amounts of the sui.
pha,e are generated. the crops are sure to
.ufsr from drou,h. unless the coil is very
deeply dlsintesra,ed. The remedy for such
soils is lime; this seizes hold OF the sulphu-
rie acid a. fas, as ., is formed from the de-
composition Of the salphuret, forming sui
pha,s Of line. thus setting Tree the iron,
which OF itself attracts moisture.
A teacher Of vocal mu'ic asked an old
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