Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-04-10
WHOLE NO. 497.

the planter had absolute control over
his DEMONSTRATING exhausted the
fertility of his plantation, with his
man servants, his maid servants, his
cattle and mules-like the Israealite
of old, he migrated to more abundant
pasture and virgin soil, and pursued
the same ruinous system of butcher.
ing and skinning his land. In the
altered circumstances which surround
us we can neither sell our lands nor
move away. 1t will not pay to ex-
tensively clear up fresh lands, where
we have so much already idle. Ne.
cessity compels us, therefore, to re-
suscitate our exhausted soil, or we
must be contented TO become annual
~ still more impoverished. 1t Is a
matter then of vital importance to
know how we can most economical.
ly and effectually accomplish ourpur-
pose.
The object of manuring lands is to
return to the soil the potash, soda,
lime, phosphoric acid and heterogeneous
materials of which It has been de-
prived. This can be accomplished by
turning under green crops, or by sup
plying these acids, alkalies and salts,
in more concentrated form in arti-
ficial compounds, by composing
rough vegetable matter and inorganic
materi is, and bv the artificial ad-
mixture of the different substances
that compose our commercial ma
nures. Ploughing under green crops
Is preferable to the use of dry vegeta-
ton, because, in the process Of decay
of vegetable matter, the plant throws
off into the air a considerable portion
of valuable gases. The sap, like the
blood to animals, contains all the ele-
ments necessary for the production of
the different parts of the plant. The
seeds, twigs and leaves possess n larger
share of nitrogen than other portions,
such as the bark and woody fibre; If,
therefore, vegetables were allowed to
pass through the process of matura-
ton and decay before they were in
cOrpOrated in the soil by being
plOughed under, a large portion of
these elements of nutrition would be
lost by conversion into different gases.
/ While growing, the roots Of plants
descend below the surface into the
subsoil, and extract from 1t inorganic
matter. This enters into the stem,
leaves and woody fibre, and the latter,
when ploughed under, while green,
become thoroughly incorporated in
the surface soil, and in the process of
fermentation the resulting gases are
diffused, form combinations with
other substances already present, and
thus are retained, and become per-
manent source of nutrition to any
subsequent crop. In stiff, tenacious
clay or lime land, the vegetable mat
ters make the soil more friable, and
in time of drought act favorably by
facilitating the access of air to the
roots, and in time of protracted wet
seasons, by conveying away excessive
accumulations of water. All sandy
lands are vastly benefited by this
process Of manuring, because they
soon become exhausted of all organic
matter.
1t is Of the first Importance TO SOW
such seeds as will produce the largest
amount of vegetable matter, in the
shortest time, and those which will
be most readily produced by the soil
to he renovated. Thus lucerne or clo-
yer would not pay upon our lands for
this purpose, because they demand
large amount Of potash for their
growth and perfection. We would be
compelled to supply this ingredient
artificially before we could succeed i'm
obtaining n sufficient amount of veg
etable matter to be available. The
employment of peas and rye would
he far preferable, both of which can
be sustained upon comparatively
small quantity of potash the farmer
derives considerable nourishment
from the atmosphere by the absorp-
tion Of carbonic acid and ammonia
through its leaves, and the latter will
grow very well upon soil containing
not over one and half per cent. of
potash. 1t would repay the trouble
and cost by sowing crop Of rye in
the fall, and ploughing II under In the
spring, preparatory to planting crop
of cotton upon the same land espec-
tally IL top dressing of gypsum or
phosphate of lime, could be ploughed
under with the rye. Green crops de-
compose very rapidly, and they, in a
very short time, would impart stim-
ulating effect, thereby giving a good
start to the young cotton.
The sulphate or phospate Of lime
would economize the fertilizine prop
critics Of the rye, which, during its
gradual process of decay and fermen-
tation, would impart its beneficial ef-
fects to the cotton during the whole
time of its growth and maturation.
The proper time for plowing under
green crops Is Just as the plant begins
to flower; for in this process It emits
a considerable portion Of nitrogen,
which may be advantageously re-
tained. The rapidity of the decom-
position of green crops enables us to
repeat the operation at least twice
during our protracted season Of warm
weather, through the summer and
autumn, Our lands are peculiarly
susceptible of improvement by this
method, as well as by that of rotation
and resting, on account of the pres
ence of more or less lime In the soil,
which greatly facilitates the decom-
position of organic matter. The pres
ence of lime is deducible from the fact
that shell limcstoiie rock underles
the whole of this section Of the State;
and / believe IL Is conceded that the
surface soil generally partakes Of the
nature OF the sub-stratum upon which
il rests. Moreover, we can not In any
other manner satisfactorily account
for the ready response which Ii made
to the application Of almost any kind
OF manure, even in very small guam
tity; and IL Is remarkable for what
length of time single application Of
manure will exhibit its beneficial
effects.
The true theory and practice Of sue.
cessful farming demand q return to
the soil of all the chemical elements
produced and distracted by the crop
harvested either by feeding the crude
materials on the farm TO stock, and
diligently and carefully saving their
excreta, or we must artificially repro