St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1867-08-09
Muck on Sandy Soils.

Muck on Sandy Soils.
Prof Dana in his excellent treatise on
swamp muck, ailirms that the best
grounds for cultivation are light sandy
soils 3: as these, by their porousness, give
free access to the powerful effects Of air.
The manure applied TO them will give
the earliest and most perfect results
Speaking OF the value of swamp muck
in bringing sandy soils into a state of the
highest fertility, he says:
The power of fertility which exist iii
the silicates Of soil is unlimited. An
improved agriculture must depend upon
the skill with which this power is bro
into action 1t can be done only by the
con uction of salts, GENE, muck and
plants. Barren sands are worthless. a
peat boz is better but practical Illus
tration Of the principles which have been
maintained, is afforded by every sandy
knoll made fertile by Spreading swamp
muck upon it. This is giving GENE to
silicatcs The very act of exposure of
this swamp muck. has caused an evolu-
ton of carbonic acid gas; that decom-
poses the silicates Of potash in the sand {;
that potash converts the insoluble into
soluble manure, and 10 , a crop. That
growing crop adds its power to the GENE.
II all the long series of experiments I'M
der Won Noght, in Germany, are to be
believed, confirmed as they are by re-
peatcd trials by our own agriculturists,
it is not to be doubted, that every inch
of every sand knoll, on every farm, may
be changed into soil in l3 years, OF
half that number of inches of good
mould.
That the cause of fertility is derived
from the decomposing power of the GENE
and plants, is evident from the fact, that
mere atmospheric exposure of rock, ell
riches all soil lying near and around
them. 1t has been thought among the
ineXplicable mysteries, that the soil I'M
der an Old stone wall is richer than that
little distance from it. Independent
of It's roller action, which has compressed
the soil and prevented the rrial escape
of It's GENE, consider that the potash
washed ont of the wall has done this. and
the mystery disappears. The agents to
hasten this natural production of alkali,
are salts and GENE The abundance of
these has already been pointed out in
peat manure. Next to this, dry crops
psushcd in; no matter how scanty, their
volume constantly will increase, and can
supply the place of swamp muck. Of
AL soils TO be cultivated, or to be restor-
ed. none are preferable to the sandy,
LIGHT soils. BY their porousness, free
access is given to the powerful effects of
the air. They are naturally in that state,
10 which trenching, draining, and subsoil
ploughing are reducing the sitter lands
OF England. Manure may as well be
thrown INTO water, as on land underlaid
by water. Drain this, and no matter if
the upper soil be almost quicksand.
manure will convert it into fertile, arabic
land. The thin covering of mould,
scarce y an inch in thickness, the product
OF century, may be initiated by study
ing he laws of its formation. This is
the work of natures prentice hand -
man has long been her journeyman, and
now, guided by science, the farmer be-
comes the maSter-workman. and NAV
produce IN one year quite as much as the
apprentice made in seven.