The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-08-05
aorltulturul uuo 0umsstit.
r.nn-ralure Of the Soil.


T, has been proved TO a demonstration, says
writer 10 the Marx Lane Express, that the TEN
perature Of the soil is an essential element IN
the cultivation Of crops and that it can be per
maoently raised several degrees by artificial
means: that iD fact, thorough draining and sub /
soiliug not ONLY effect this object OF themselves,
by promoting the discharge Of the stagnant wa
ter which keeps the soil in normal state OF IN
genial coldness, but that those operations also
assist the action Of the manures by promoting
their fermentation and decay, causing them 70
irnpart more warmth 10 the soil, and chemically
preparing the elements Of fertility for immediate
assimilation b. The plants. The stagnaht water
asO Is displaced oy the atmospheric air, and the
absorption Of the night de"s, by both OF which
the temperature Of the cir Is impaired 10 the
subsOh The importance Of these results 10 the
success Of the operations Of husoandry are IN
calculabie; because from the time the seed u
sOwn 70 the period when the harvest il reaped,
the crop il affected in a greater or less degree
BY the temperature Of the soil There il the
Tnlre reason TOR attending % this subject, and
for urging the importance OF draining aid sub
soiliug, when il Is considered that the earth, or
the soil does not receive the heat OF the sun by
radiation; in other words, the suns rays never
penetrate belsS the surface Of the soil With
water IL i different, for being transparent body,
the RAYS pass through t % any depth, down 10
7,2OG feet al the Equator. and 20 400 feet IN
10 degrees 81 latitude. according % KOtz bue }
diminishing 10 intensity as II recede- from the
surface On the land the suns rave act superb
cally, and the heat they impart 70 The surface is
communicated % the interior Of the soil by con
tact or conducliou only. An Interchange, ia
fact, takes place between the surface and the in
terror Of the sol, by which the latter receives d
portion Of The heat from the former, provided
no adverse influences counteract Il The most
pOwerfui obstruction 70 this operation IL stag
naDt water. As, however, the soil receives
more slowly the heat Of the Sun from the atmos
phere, than water. and loses It more gradually.
la sumner the -ufface 10 hotter than the interior;
but in winter the proportions are altered. DR..
Hale found August i724, that when the Their
mometer ia the air stood at So deg, il was IS
deg. az the depth OF two inches. 10 deg. at six
teen inches, and 6s deg. at twenty four inches.
The two last preserved the same temperature
day aud night, and fell 20 SO degrees at the end
OF the month. On the 26th October, when the
Thermometer stood at 35 deg. on the surface,
it was az 43 deg at TWO inches, 45 S deg al
sixteen inches, and so degrees at twenty four
inches, below IT,; ard on the lst November,
when the temperature Of the air was at 81 deg.
or ) deg below freezing point, it vas 43 deg.
At the depth Of twenty i've inches. IL is impos
sibe, however, that such result as this can b.
obtained IN a soil saturated with stsgnant water
that ID not within reach OF the suns rays, and
which i consequently always cold and ungenial
70 the plants crossing on the surface. The rOots
here will not penetrate below the water level
and the shock they receive upon reaching il IL
communicated TO the plant itself, which exhibits
the eff cts By yellow sickly appearance. On
the other hand, the warmth maintained in a well
drained aud we'll cultivated soil and snbsoil sus
tans the plant in health and vigor throughout
the season When the progress Of heat down
wards is uninterrupted, the wave is continuously
proPagated 10 the interior as long as the surface
receives the rays OF the sun upon il, when il
begins a. ain to ascend as It is withdrawn from
the surface. But the retrogressive operation j.
in Winter less rapid than the progressive part
ly because the GOODNESS of the nights seals the
surface against the escape of the caloric, which
the subsoil also yields up with more reluctance
CalOrc, or heat is substance; but cold Is
nOneutity or only the absence of heat. cold
subsOi, therefore, indicates the absence of thai
which is essential 70 the well being of vegetation;
and L" cold soil, it is properly called, but
which is nothing else than an undrained sol
saturated with stagnant water, being deficient
in calOric, cannot sustain plants in health. Nc
manure, no culture OF the surface can render
such a soil productive, under the ordinary cOn-
ditiOns Of our G. nate. On the other hand, nc
soil that IS properly cultivated, subsoied, and
thorough drained, DC any longer a cold
soil, because il is no longer impervious to the
admission OF the atmosphere and the nigh
dess.