American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-05-09
General Principles in Agriculture.

HOWEVER valuable specific practical
| information may be in agriculture, there
are certain fundamental principles
which, if properly understood, become in
measure truer guide in farming. For
instance, dark -colored soil full of humus
vegetable matter) is richer than light
colOred, sandy or loamy soil, while clays
may be even more productive than either
for certain kinds of crops. But rich
soil is valueless if the climate is insult
| able for the abode of man or for the pro
ductiOn of food bearing plants. Adapta
| ton of plants to climate and soil is one OF
the chief aims of scientific agriculture
and although much has been learned, far
more is still to be discovered in this di
rectiOn.
The manipulation of soils is a subject
on which there are widely differing opin
ions, simply because men are 10th to ad
NIT the truth of general principles which
are founded upon and grow out of the
experience and practice of all nations
that have paid any attention to agricul
ture. ALI must admit that deep, rich
soil is far preferable to shallow, barren
one, and, taking this as starting point
we pillow deep if the soil is naturally shall
| low, and apply manure if it is unfertile
| But the mode of operation may be varied
according to the composition of the soil
or the habits and kinds of plants cult
waited If soil is very shallow
resting upon an unfertile suosoil, a
man would be foolish to invert il
TO great depth, and upon the
poor soil brought to the surface to SOW
small grain, without adding some enrich.
| ing materials in order to supply the small
delicate roots of such plants with nutri-
| ment. If, however, trees should be plant.
| ed upon soil prepared in this manner
| their roots would be placed in immediate
contact with the rich but now buried sur
| face soil, and of course be greatly bene-
fitted by an operation which might be
positively injurious to grain and smaller
plants.
But what is generally considered deep
culture of soil does not imply deeply in
verted soil, as many appear TO think, for
in subsoiling we only break up the sub
soil, leaving it in its original position
beneath the surface. The benefit result
ing from this practice on all heavy, COM
pact soils is too widely known and gen.
orally admitted to be questioned or denied
by men who think as well as act Whether
it will pay the farmer in all localities
where there are heavy subsoils to freely use
the subsOil pillow depends somewhat upon
the value of the crops cultivated, although
the importance and value of the operation
must be fully admitted. The increase in
the yield of corn as Il result in subscribing
in localities where this grain sells for ten
cents per bushel would scarcely warrant
the increase of cost in preparing the land
in this manner; but these instances do
not affect the general principle that ID
deep soil is better than a shallow one, and
will yield more as general rule.
The agrIculturist must determine for
himself the exact time when these sys-
TENS OF improved culture or manipulation
OF the soil may be introduced with profit.
1t is not absolutely essential that it should
be this year or next. We would, however,
warn our readers against putting the
time oil too long, for it is better To be II
little in advance than too late. Our
farmers, as IA rule, are prone to delay,
through habit probably, the taking hold
of new ideas and discarding the old
hence the low average in the profits OF
farming.
In producing any particular crop the
farmer must consider not only its adapta-
billy to his soil and climate, but to the
markets in which it is to be sold. There
are certain kinds of grain, like wheat for
instance, that are readily transported a
long distance without fear of loss, and usu
ally command price which will admit of
considerable amount being paid for
frei s5ht; but oats, corn, and potatoes are
usually produced in too large quantities
and over too wide range OF country to
enable the producer to pay freight to dis
tant markets; hence, as IA rule, they are