Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-21
-AGRICULTURAI.
For the Sentinel.
Improvement of Land.
NO. l..

extensively read in tins section, | deem 1t only
appropriate to keep you posted relative TO our
affairs
In common wiIh'every coRsiderate friend OF
the South, I,reioice AT the increased interest
which has been awakened throughout our own
section with reference TO agriculture in its va
rioos branches and departments therefore
open this, my Introduction TO a series Of arti-
cles on this subject, its pursuits, encourage
ments, difficulties, &c, which propose wri-
ting for your columns Such is the theme
which naturally suggests itself as most in har-
mony at this time. II is a subject full of in
teresi, but in the few reflections which shall
throw out upon it, shall claim the indulgence
Of your readers If they prove to he somewhat
discursive, desul'ory and superficial and want
ing in shape, method, or completeness, to
which, indeed they make no pretensons. 1t
is hardly necessary for me TO add that these
reflections will have more especial reference to
The farmer among ourselves, ia the Southern
States of the Union, MS it is that which more
Immediately concerns us.
There are certain modes of improving the
soil which though involving only simple me-
chanica operations on the part of the impro-
yer, produce their effects through the agency
Of refined scientific causes.
Doubtless many Of your readers have OBJ
served that lands which are unfit for arabic
culture and, which yield only n trifing return
for PASTURE are YET in many cases capable of
growing profitable plantations, and of being
greatly increased in permanent value by The
prolonged growth of wood Not only, how
ever, do not all trees thrive alike on the same
soil, but all do not improve the soil on which
they grow in an equal degree. For example;
under the beech and spruce the land is render
cd worse than before under the ash ii gradu-
ally acquires an increased value; it also in
creases in value after the oak and CHESTNUT
The main cause of this improvement is to be
found in the nature of the soil which gradual
ly accumnlates beneath the trees by the she'd
ding of their leaves. The shelter from the sun
and rain which the foliage affords, prevents
the vegetable matter from being so speedily
decomposed; or from being so much washed
away, and thus permits it to collect in larger
quantities ina given time than where no such
cover exists. The more complete the shelter
therefore, the more rapidly will the accumula-
ton Of the soil be- in so far as it depends upon
the cause But the quantity Of leaves which
annually fall, as well as the degree of rapidly
with which, under ordinary circumstances.
they undergo decay, have also much influence
upon the extent to which the soil is capable of
being improved by any species Of tree. The
broad leaves of the beech and oak decay more
rapidly than the needle-shaped leaves of the
pine tribes.
We should expect likewise that the quantity
and quality of the Inorganic matter contained
in the leaves, brought mp year by year from
the roots, and strewed nflerward uniformly |
over the surface where the leaves are shed,
would ma terially fleet the value Of the soil
they form. Thus the dry leaves of the oak
contain about five per cent. of saline and |
earthly matter, while those of the pine contain |
less than tSo per cent. SO that supposng the
actual weight Of leaves which fall from each |
kind of tree TO be equal, we should expect a
greater depth of soil to be formed in the same
time by the oak than by the pine.
The Improvement of the soil, therefore, by
the planting of trees, depends in part upon the
quantity Of orgdaic food which the trees can
extract from the air. and afterwards drop in
the form Of leaves upon the soil; and. in part,
upon the kind and quantity of inorganic mat
ter which the roots can bring up from beneath,
and, in like manner, strew upon the surface
The quantity and quality of the latter will, in
a great measure, determine the kind of grasses
which will spring up, and the consequent
value of the pasture in the feeding of stock
In commencing the tllage of piece of land
the farmer may have three objects in view
with regard to it. First, he may wish to re-
claim waste or restore neglected farm TO an
average condition of fertility Secondly, find
ing the land in this average state, his utmost
ambition may be to keep il in lis present condi-
ton. Thirdly, or by high farming, he may
wish to develop all its capabilities, and.to in
crease its permanent productiveness in the
greatest possible degree
The man who aims at the last of these OBJ
jects is not only the best tenant and the best
citizen, but he is also our best friend. The
highest farming, skilfully and prudepty con-
Quoted, is also the most rcmunerating.
But whichever of these three ends he aims
at, he will be unable TO attain it,, without a
dne knowledge Of the various mauures it may
be in his power 10 apply TO his land; what
these manures are, or Of what they consist the
general and special purposes they are each in
tended TO serve; which are the most effective
for this or that crop, aud why they are so;
how they are 10 be obtained in the greatest
abundance and at the least cost and in what
state aud at what season of the year they may
be bene6cially applied to the land. Such are
a few of the questions which the skllful far
mer should be ready to ask himself, and at the
same time be able to answer.
BY manure mean whatever is capable OF
feeding or supplying food TO the plant. And
and as plants require earthly and saline as well
as vegetable food, gypsum and nitrate of soda
are as properly termed manures as farm-yard
dung, bone dust, or night soil
GLAUCUS.
EuLALIA, Montgomery Co., Nd
SOWING GARDEN SEEps-As seed sowing
time is approaching, it will be in order to say
that very great portion of seeds annually
sown, are lost through deep sowing. Ofcourse
LARGO seeds like hpanS a nd Mas may la oova-