The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1867-08-02
Fsom H. Farm aad Fire.ide Journal.
sUBsOIL FLOWING.

From tile DAYS OF .letnro LUZ nu*i
within the last twenty-five or thirty
wears farmers were generally content
n stir the immediate surface of The
soil. and did not seem aware that
greater depth Of disturbance would
produce larger and better results
indeed. il was generally believed that
me whole matter which went 70 Ter
tilize plants belonged 70 The imnedi-
ate surface, Or that portion SHOWN as
loam-a name given. nntl very rel
Gently. 10 the disturbed portion only
which. hy the combined Influences
VI sun. air. and decay Of vegetation.
changes H. color The fact that the
compoarnis 81 the soil hgncatli those
poinis were All u be touna a. part III
the ntegrants If plants was scarcely
known. and It'll less 50 that they
c,nld not be absorbed bv them. and
Thus ~ t. make up their structure,
nntil acted rn hy d series 81 intlnen-
cvs caused hy atmospheric contact and
tie presence OF humidity, not the re-
cult of stagnant wafer Liebig first
exposed the true valne OF the organic
substances at the soil. or those parts
which were not the immediate result
Of plant decay: and farmers slowly
welded their ong-cherIshed belief
that the black portions OF the soil
alone could make plants. These new
doctrines gave rise to the use Of a
subsoil pillow. which. without elevat-
ing the subsoil to the surface. disturb.
ed it in places. and permitted a tree
circulation OF atmosphere between its
particles. The deep cnts made by
the plow also acted partially as under
drains. and permitted, under some
special conditions of snriace-such as
the slope OF bills, etc.-rednndant
water to pass away. Air necessarily
entered, and chemical changes occur
red: the surface Of the particles OF the
snbsoil were soon conditioned 50 as e
sustain roots. and they passed into i
10 greater depths than had been be-
fore known. These, in turn, absorb
cd from the subsoil larger quantities
Of inorganic matter, rendered soluble
hy chemical changes consequent upor
moisture and air. The constituent:
were taken into the plants above, aus
portions not marketable as crops, de
cayed in the upper soil. adding to th'
greasy, unctnons, organic matter new
portions Of inorganic food for futur
crops. Plants bad longer roots a
well as greater number of fibres, an'
larger crops was the consequence
The decay Of these roots in the sol
left tubes to great depths; the atmos
phere could come in laden with gases
resulting from vegetable decomposi
ton, required BY plants; rains an
dews. which wash the heterogeneous eS
halations OF all organic nature fror
the atmosphere, descended into tn
subsoil, which gradually changed G
Tor SO as to make deep loamy soils !
localities where before only sparse
shallow rooted crops could be growr
All this was heard of by the Amer
can farmer long before he was avail
ened to action; and even now, whe
every truly practical farmer owns
subsoil plow, lie can tell You Of son
neichbor who cautioned him again
it's use. and who insisted that the dee
disturbance of his coil would let 0
manurcs filter downward; forgettir
that. If that were true, every We
would be the receptacle Of the resul
OF decay, every spring would be
cesspool, aud every rivulet but an Z
ganic charnel house. Nature. in d
wisdom OF her laws, has rendered I
carbon and alumina Of the soil, aft
proper exposure to atmospheric inf
ences. capable Of receiving and |
tainlng all the results Of decay; a
the value Of a farm must to grt
extent depend on the depth to viii
its surface by disturbance is render
capable OF performing this pecui
function.
Thoroughly snbsoil-plowed lar
soon become capable Of deeper q
face blowing, without injuring