Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-04-07
sbouf soils

Dr.. n. i. true, OF Dc'hO'' az ""o '''N
Farmers Meeting at Norway, gave II.
miliar lecture on the character oil the
soils ui Oxford County. lie SAID That
soils ale composed Of rocks that have
been crushed 10 pieces in various WAYS
Any farmer has only to lake handful CT
coarse soil and he can zee small lrag
ments OF quartz, leldspar and m"'' grap
lie aud slate rocks, besides the h"er sand
aud clay PARTICLES.
The rocks in portions oil Oxford County
contain more lime than the farmers gen.
orally suppose. lie had ncticel THIS tact
in all the western plrt OF Norway, IN
Paris. Bucklied and Hebron. Nothing
of the kind is seen in the valley OF the
Androscoggin lie then showed spcci'
men Of limestone that he had just broken
out of stone wall. It, surface WAS
much worn showing that ii was acted up
on by the elements, and had set free the
lime which had entered into the soil. lie
rode down through Greenwood by The
side Of pond. On The opposite side OF
the road is ledge ol loosely constructed
limestone This was one source ot the
lime that was scattered all over The west
crn part Of Norway. This was the rca-
son That they have so good orchards in
that town, in Paris and Hebron.
There has never been, 10 his Ano~I-
edge. a chemical analysis "i the soil OF
Oxford County. IN auaIlze sample oi
soil from the places just described would
serve as standard Of comparison. d..
Jackson made an analysis from the farm
of the late Mai. Stone, OF Waterford, IN
1888, but it MAS maniltstly imperfect, ~
no notice WIS taken OF the potash ~
magnc,ia present in the soil. til, anall
sis, however, was one oil interest and lac
would give it,
Water, ) per cent. vegetable matter
/ II per cent. silica. GJ per cent. Alumni
10 per cent. OK. iron, 2per cent. Oh.
manganese, j-lO per cent. pho'ph't'
OF lime, per cent. carbonate oI lime.
DO per cent. (; total 100 per cent
This analysis was made on that portion
of the soil which had pa,scI through
sleeves OF differ cnt degrees %! incn' ,,.--
| Thi. soil was represented rs being one
of great fertility.
He then gave the composition "i lhe
principal minerals that compose St'n.
lie rock and also of such elements u, com
pose a good sell.
The mineral elements ot the ,"l 1it
composed of the bart ashes ol the met.
ais. Oxide Of iron IS only the ashca OF
iron; clay is the a-hc, of the metal alum
inium; potash, OF potassium; ,odn, OF So.
dunn; magne>ia, OF magnesium, ami
sand Of u scmi.mctalir substance called
SILICA.
No mineral, vcgclnjic or animal sub.
stance becomes food ior plants Ill! It l.
completely soluble in wafer. aud the more
intimately we bIin. together these differ
ent substances, the better i, the condition
OF the soil for the production "f clop.
Elder Dunhan', biz sluashca grow on q
soil in peculiarly fine condition. lie
did not believe that - similar soil could
be found in Oxford County. The inter
vale soils in the valley Of the Andro'cog-
gin are fine. though wanting ia sulil-
cheney OF lime.
Too much of scientific truth plcS>ed on
the mind of the farmer ~ once i inJu-
rious. All practice and no SCIENCE = not
profitable. but little science with great
deal of good practice will alway' render
n man better fitted To perform HI various
duties. Farmers should Away romem-
Der one principle of science which they
can easily understand. that alkalie>, such
A. limo and ashes, dissolve vegetable
and animal matter. and judgment j. al
WAYS necessary in their application lo
the soil. An excess Of alkaIies will *
haust soil OF its vegetable and animal
manures = Lewiston Journal