Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-09-02

forests that have grown upon it show
that there is something more than sand.
They have furnished the soil with some
hvmus and there is also some clay.
Your correspondent (R. H.'s) land is
| probably of similar nature, contain
ing some vegetable and other material
necessary to growth, else it could not
have grown "scrub oak" and "pine. +"
Such soil is treated successfully
simply by the common means of i'm.
provement, barnyard manure, green
crops and other fertilizers. There is
sufficient clay with the sand for basis.
The manure applied acts chemically
upon the sand, releasing plant food, be-
sides pushing forward the crop. The
main point is the mode of application
m no case ploaO uadea the manure.
The point is to keep it where the plant
is. which In sandy soil, being loose
and porous, is difficult. If not taken
up by the plant in a given time, it Gin
Its downward course) will be lost. It
is folly then to put it down at once bv
the pillow, which is aiding it's disappear
ance. Neither will it do to apply in
the fall, particularly if done early, and
leave there till spring, when the crop is
soWn. Some of the strength will wash
down and get beyond the reach of the
roots; the latter growth will have but
little left to benefit it. If heavy coat
OF manure is given, there will be more
growth, also more loss. The point is
to apply it when the grain is sown,
| mixing manure, seed and soil with the
iph4 !,
ferable
To seed to grass or clover the same
rule holds. It will not do 50 well to
apply the manure in the fall, either
with the wheat crop sown, of for land
then prepared and sown in the spring.
Timothy may be sown with the wheat
II put III early, or better in the spring
as early as the manure can be applied
and the land sown. Never omit to
cover the seed in sandy soil. The
seeding started, it can be kept growing
by yearly applications of top dressing
till a good sod is established. Sheep
will help do this. The sod turned down
lightly, not exceeding four inches
three or three and half being better
crops of grain can be raised, with or
But the year following manure must
be added whether grain is sown or the
land put to grass or clover, light plow-
ing being continued so as to keep the
fertility at the surface. It must be
kept there as much as possible always
in a sandy soil. The principle is too
obvious to be misunderstood. And
sod is al excellent material for this,
being well distributed through the sur
face soil, and held there longer by the
time occupied in its decomposition.
For this reason also raw manure has an
advantage, letting loose gradually it's
substance
In this way the land can be worked
right along proftably, and improved all
the while, with but little of the fertil-
ity lost that is applied. A heavy
dressing would lose more of the ma
nure. Hence light and frequent appli-
cations is the true theory. [ find it
also the practice in sections l have Wis
tied where the land is leachy. Parts of
Steuben county, New York, are of this
character, where first got my ideas of
the treatment of such soil.
But the attention to the land must
not be RENTED, else it will soon go
back to its original state, when trees or
deep roofing alone can retain footing.
1t is, however, easy to keep up the land
after the start is well made. Ali that
is necessary is to cultivate shallow, and
feed the soil at the surface. The adj
vantage of such land is, besides it's
perfect drainage, that it can be worked
early, thus getting the benefit of the
winter moisture, and of an early
growth, SO as to shade the ground, and
thus protect it from the hot sun and
the drying winds, which otherwise
would deprive it readily of it's moist
ure, it being less capable of withstand
ing drought than other land.
| have been much gratifed at the
sight Of land in the town of Salisbury,
and bordering on the North Woods,
where crops OF grain, grass and clover
rose dark and thick, and on soil that not
many years ago was barren. It is made
really profitable, and continuously so.
There is another advantage that may be
realized in the improvement of light
and sandy soil that may be mentioned
here. 1t is the use Of compost, in which
a large ingredient is soil, and that soil
clay. If clay is accessible, it may be
used largely three Or four or more
parts to one of MANURE. This will re-
taing all the strength of the manure,
make a superior dressing to mix with
the topsoil and hold the fertility. A
few heavy dressings will give perma-
nence to the soil, and in the long run it
will be found to pay.-Cor. Country
Gentleman.
Household Hints.
To WASH calicoes, put wheat bran in
q hao boil and tako half tho uroto,. 70