Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-08-20

nlnS as closely as possible to the
plants every time.
| There is no danger of Destroy
ing or injuring the roots by this
method Of culture if :hc plough is
not run SO near that the swinglc-
tree breaks tho branchcs-on the
contrary, it is the very best prepa-
ration for the rapid multiplication
and extension Of tho small tibrous
roots which are the feeders to the
plants.
This deep culture must be kept
up from the beginning. If the
roots arc prevented from grow
ing downwards by the hardness
and poverty of the soil below, and
arc forced to extend themselves only
near the surface, deep ploughing,
under such circumstances, would
undoubtably y mutilatc those roots, to
the injury Of the plant and cause
it to shed it's fruit.
This cotton now is about five
and n half feet high, and where
the stand is perfect, the branches
meet i'll every direction, and arc
SO heavily laden with fruit that
some Of the branches arc splitting
Oft with the weight.
1t was planted on the 9th of May,
aht has growm rapidly from the
start. 1t was not injured in the
least oy the drought, and at that
time not single fallen boil, square
or form could be found. Since
the rain I have noticed few fallen
squares. Plants growing on soil
cultivated so deeply can hardly be
injured by drought and are benefited
in various other ways.
1t must be remembered that the
atmosphere is the great store house
from which plants derive at least
nine-tenths of the substances of
which they arc composed. Amo-
MIA is constantly escaping into the
atmosphere from dccaying animal
and vegetable matter Carbonic
acid gas and water are largely DIFF
fused in the atmosphere, and the
hotter the weather the more water
is held in suspension. We all
know how large aportion of tree
is charcoal or carbon, and that
when it is burnt and combines with
the OXYGEN Of the atmosphere and
becomes carbonic acid gas-an in
visible gas escaping into the at
mosphcre-how little is left behind
asa residum. That little is the
product of the soil. What Iii; 8
disappeared is substance derived
from the atmosphere.
Now if the soil be deeply pull
vcrlzed, so as to allow free circu-
lation of the atmosphere through
it, the watery vapor is condensed
by coming into, contact with the
cool substrAtum Of the earth, on
the same principle that the atmos-
phere condenses upon the side of
pitcher filled with cold water up
on a warm midsummer day-thus
supplying the roots with moisture
holding in solution these fcrtilizing
gases which the atmosphere con-
tains, SO necessary to the growth
and development Of the plant,
and in this condition so readily to
be taken up by its roots and fbrcs.
Besides all this, these atmospher-
icgases and water make soluble and a
food for the plant other substances
in the earth, which without them
would remain insolublc, inert and
useless.
A deeply pulverised soil has still
another advantage in dry weather.
1t draws up the moisture from be-
low, upon the principle Of capilla-
ry attraction, which may be illus
trated by holding lump of loaf
sugar part way immersed in your
cup Of coffee. The sugar will i'm
mediately draw up sufficient of
the liquid to become saturated
with the moisture.
All these advantages are greatly
diminished or entirely lost iu a hard
compact soil. When the rains fall
--impregaated with these fertili-
zing .gases--if the soil be deeply
mellowed and porous, they are alb
~sorbed at once and penetrate to the
roots of the plants, with their rich
burden of life and health. But if
only the surface is mellow, and the
ground be. sloping or hilly, most
of the rain runs off, CARRYING with