The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-02-27
Intelligent Culture.

4ntelllgent CULTURE.
In order that the agriculturalist may
the better understand his business, he
should mako himself familiar with all
that concerns the land he occupies, the
origin and nature of the soil, etc., in
short all that relates to the soil, as well
as the nature and composition of the
plants which he grows, and their relation
to the soil, ctt. In the following shall
not attempt full investigation Of all the
various relations, causes, etc., it would
be necessary to discuss in order to full
and definite understanding of what is
embraced in the foregoing; but will only
glance at few points Of interest. Soils
in general consist of organic and morgan
ic matter; and differ greatly as regards
their agricultural capacities, constitution,
etc. The organic matter of soil con-
sists of all matter produced from and by
the agency of living organs, animal or
vegetable substances dccomposed or trans
formed; exhibiting in some cases, some
thing of the original structure-some-
times forming only a fine brown powder,
intermixed with mineral matters of the
soil; at other times existing only in q
state of organic compounds, scarcely
prcccptiblo in either of the above forms
All soils, to be productive, must consist
of as uitable proportion of organic mat
ter; these proportions differ in different
soils, varying from one-half to 70 per
cent. of their weight. With either more
or less proportion they cease to be pro-
ductive, and need an admixture to bring
them into profitable cultivation. Differ
ent crops will flourish upon land con-
tanning different proportions. Of organic
matter; thus barley requiring q larger
per cent. than rye or oats, and wheat
still larger per cent. than barley. The
presence of organic matter alone in n soil
is not sufficient to render it productive
although certain per cent. must always
be present in productive soil. Soils in
the same vicinity may each contain near
ly, OF quite, the same per cent, yet one
will be productive and the other barren
the barren one being made so by tho pois-
onous, dead inorganic matter contained
therein. The earthly part Of soils, when
free from water, contains about ninety-siX
per cent. of their whole weight; and this
consists principally Of silica, alumina and
lime. What is dcnominated q sandy soil
is one in which silicious sand predomi-
mates. A calcareous one is where carbon
ate of lime is found in considerable abun-
dance, as in some chalk or limestone dis
tricts. Alumina, when in large proper:
ton of the soil, constitutes clay of
greater or less tenacity. Neither Of these
three substances often occur in quantities;
pure, sufficient to form superficial cov-
ering to any extent of the earth's sur
face. The three foregoing substances are
generally found in soils in state of me-
chanical mixture; that is, in a state in
which they may be separated without
resort to chemical means. Silicious sands
and carbonate of lime soils are always so,
but in clays the silica and alumina are
mostly in state of chemical combina-
ton. A clay loan differs from a clay, in
that proportion of fine sand may be
washed out, amounting to from Is to 30
per cent. this sand and clay forming
mechanical mixture; this admixture of
sand is what gives it its moro trlable ma
ture. When u loamy soil is washed, it
deposits from 80 to 60 per cent. of sand;
q sandy loan from 60 to 90 per cent.
and a sandy soil contains no more than
10 per cent. Of clay. Soils where lime is
found in greater or less abundance are
called mari or calcareous Soils Many
soils are those in which the proportion of
lime is greater than s. and does not ex-
coed 20 per cent. of the dry soil-these
may be sandy, loamy, or clay marls, ac-
cordng as the proportion of clay it con-
tains, were it free from lime, would be
placed. Calcareous soils are those in
which the proportion of lime exceeds 20
pcr cent, and are distinguished as the
last. Soils, whose constituents are SIM
ply clay and sand, are examined by wash
inc, and named according to the per cent.
of sand deposited; but those containing
lime, in chemical combinations, are not
thus readily examined, it requiring some
chemical process to separate the constit-
uents. a soil which takes it's character
istcs from the amount of vegetable mat
ter it contains is usually denominated
vegetable mold, and varies from the COM
mon garden soil to the peat soil which
contains one-half or three-fourths veget-
able matter. A knowledge of the COM
position of soil will often determine the
nature of q fertilizer that would be ap-
propriately applied to act in conjunction
with the substances already in tho soil,