Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-10
shade as n Fertilizer.

More than once we have alluded TO the
great importance of shading the surface
soil by the use of some natural or artifi-
cial covering. Everybody knows that
where hay or straw is stacked out for
some time, or where bushes or weeds
have been heaped up fer burning and al
lowed TO remain on the field, or where
the ground beneath the stacks or heaps
has been shaded when next put into crops
shows heavier growth on those spots
than on any other part of the field. A
short time ago, Western correspondent
of one of the Northern agricultural jour
nails called attention to the fact, as if it
were new discovery. Yet no observing
farmer can have failed to have motto
ed it often, although he may not
have understood the philosophy
of it. The correspondent in ques-
ton seems to have been taught by ACCT
dent that advantage to be derived from
shading the soil with refuse straw, and
to have subsequently prOfted by the dis
cOvery. He remarks, that ''years ago
spread some refuse straw upon mead
ow and reaping therefrOm an unlocked
for benefit, continued the practice sub
scquently, and always and ever with good
results" The benefit to be derived from
the same quantity of straw turned under
would have been very small indC ed.
Spread over the surface soil, it Cut ckCd
evaporation by intercepting the rays of
the summer sun, it decayed gradually and
thus absorbed and retained moisture from
the rainfall, and it also returned, as it
decayed, some soluble salts To the soil, of
which it stood in need. But the chief
value of mulch of this kind lies in its
protection Of the soil from loss by evapo-
ration, and its beneficial effect on the
chemical and electrical action which is
| always going on beneath a soil, and by
which inorganic substances are gradually
broken down and rendered soluble. 1t is
this which makes lands opened from the
virgin forest so rich. The leaves falling
from year to year, and decaying gradually
on the surface, have covered it with a
thick layer of vegetable mould, rich in
potash, and have also kept the surface,
spongy and open, so that the descending
rains could penetrate easily aud be
| absorbed by the soil. Forest lands, not
| WlInSIanulnS INC ConSlanl uIdln WHICH INC
growing trees make upon the soil, not
only never grow poorer, but year by year
store up in the soil greater quantity of
fertilizing constituents. 1t is upon this
principle that mulching acts.
The English land Owners, in leasing
out their farms, ctipUlate very wisely that
certain proportion Of the land-fre-
quently one-third-shall be kept perma-
nently in grass. They have learned by
experience that grass lands improve the
soil from year to year, by the decaying
leaves and the thick heavy turf which is
gradually formed. In that moist, cool
climate, shade is far less essential to the
preservation of the soil than it is with us.
Our summers are hot, and our system OF
cropping is singularly exhaustive. They
have no hoed crops worth speaking of,
aud are compelled to resort to suln.ncl
fallows TO subdue the weeds. Our h"ct
crops are among the most important
al any we cultivate, and sOutL
of the Susquehanna river, dowr
through all the regions where the