Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-03-13
s6aaG0GG0RAg.
ceo,ogtcas Definitions.

Many terms In general use among scIentlnc
men and usually employed 10 agricultural
works are obscure to our young readers.
For their sakes We will ez plain some of them.
and shall net be angry If old men proht oY
;he explanatiaus,
SoH.-The surface earth, of whatever IN
.gredient. it may be composed. Ii may be
alev soil sand soil, calcareoes soil, as the
surface is composed Of clay. or sand. or clay
strongly mixed with lime etc.
.Sabsod The earth lying below the ordl-
nary depth to which the pow sPede Pene-
,rates. Sometimes it has hardened by the
runuins of the plow oveE 1t for series OF years;
then it is called pan as hard pan 'cIay-pan'
etc. /, is sometimes of the same nature as
the top soils, as 10 ay-lands; in others 1t is
different earth; as when a coarse gravel under
lies vegetable mould or when clay lies be-
meath sandy soil.
.Su6soH PIotring.-Iu ordinary plowlng,
the share runs from FIVE to seven inches deep
4 ulozg hes been constructed (cailed the sub
coil plow9 to follow rhe furrow aud break up
from six to eight inches deeper-so that tue
whole plowiug penetrates from ten to sixteen
inches.
:subsoH Plo,c "A plow having narrow
.aoable share, or snail share on each side
Of the cutter, and on mould board 1t is
designed to break up anu soften the sphsoil,
bG, not to bring it to the top.
tif1lH. "A soil in which decayed vegetable
matter largely predominates over earth
Thus, leaf-moud is soil principally composed
of rotten leaves dung -moEld. 0y dung reduced
TO fne powdery matter; heath mould. ablack
vegetable soil found in heath-lauds; peat
mould, garde- mould, etc
L1am-Clay or any Of the PRINT ". ths,
reduced to mellew, friablc .tste by the IN
,ermixture of sand, or vegetable matter. is
called loan Clay lands well mauured with
sand dung, or muck, are turned generally to
loan.
AIus1siRa or -4lumine e-GeueralIy employ
ed to signify pure clay. It is, chemically
speaking metalio oxide; aluminium is the
metallic base. and is an elementary substance
It is generally known that the diamond Is
pure carbon. Charcoal is carbon in an impure
.tate,) but it is not generally known that the
ruby and the sapphire, two of the most besu-
.iful gems with which We are acquainted, are
composed almost solely of slumina,' or pure
clay, in a crystaliEed state.
.SiHcioas An earth composed largly Of
,ilex Stler ar si7icja is considered to be a
primitive earth constituting flint. aud soutaiu
ing the most kinds of sands, and sand stones,
etc. China or porcelain ware is formed fros
.iiicia and alumiua united e. from .iiicious
SAND and clay
Calcarcou~ A soil into the composition
Of which lime enters largely. Pare clay ms
uured freely with n:.rl. becomes calcsreou,.
Mar. is mostly clay and carbonate of lime.
ARurial.-Strictly speaking. slluviam or
.lluvial soil. is soil formed by causes yet ia
existence. Thus bottom land Is formed BY
wash Of river. 1t is usually mixture
of decayed vegetable matter and sand.
UiIuvial. "A diluvial soil or deposite s
one formed By causes yet in existence Thus
.deposite by deluge is termed ddluriat.
The word is derived from the latin dluriuns,
signifying deluge.
The terms argillaceous, calcsreous,, slic-
ious, ailuvial and Giluvial are constantly en-
ployed in all works which treat of husbandry.
FriaLle A friab!e soil is one which
erumbles easily Clay is adhesive. or in COM
mon language clamny; leaf-mOuld is friable,
or crumbling. Clay becomes friable when,
by exposure to air or frost. or by addition OF
sard. vegetable matter, etc it is thoroughly
ncllowcd.