The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-11-25

even when the inclination Of the Ian,
and the rows IL very gradual, m OK
tcnslyc observation Convinccs INC tina
the deterioration from this cause is con
siderable. In this connection IL will bc
interesting TO mention n fact noticed by
Prof. Johnston in his Agricultural Chem
istry' Stiff clays kept in grass come years
are very much amclioratcd-morc than
the increase Of vegetable mnttor would
| explain. Prof. Johnston in discussing the
| phenomenon declares that there IL IN ac-
| tual dccrcaac Of the proportion OF alumni
nminthc superficial strata, lie attributes
this 10 n sinking of the finer clay par
| ticles. My own explanation il that
| while tho COarscr particles, Of soil are en-
| yelopcd and firmly held by the mesh Of
grass roots, the fine particles, suspended
in the rain water, escape with this and
settle on some adjacent or remote low
land, The greater weight too Of the
coarScr materials would insure TO them a
comparative immobility. When the
western rivers overflow, the coarse sand
il deposited on or near their banks,
while the finer sediment il carried fur
thcr back into the swamp.
Here ! will glance, and only glance,
at one feature Of the climate Of the
northern states, which il largely conser
yatiyc on this point. During the winter
months their soils are firmly locked by
ice, while ours, liquiiicd IA it were, arc
deprecated by the even recurring winter
dclugcS Of rain.
! remarked above that the effects o
deep pIoughing, and understanding even
had often been mistaken for proofs o
vcritablc additions TO the real fertility o
soils, when in fact they were, in grca
measure, devices for more thorough cx
haustion. That farming is essentially
poor, Whatever its temporary results
that does not Md year by year TO TIN
@oil-Storc ofappropriablc plant food. Blu
before dismi~sing the subject Of rain-'p0
%liation, ! would remark that while I'm
dcrdraining seems to offer an ciIicaciOu
remedy, there are objections TO the device
now 70 popular. In portions Of Ger
many, on Undetermined lands, such N
accumulation Of vegetable matter take
place, that a species Of worm thriycs t.
the destruction Of the crop. In England
the same accumulation ~ofvcgctabIc mat
ter is frequently encountered, and they
are forced 10 apply enormous quantities
of lime for its correction. In Germany,
in some places, driving the sheep over
the soil il rcsortcd to, for its compress.
sion, 10 the great injury, it is said, Of the
sheep. The same injurious tendency,
doubtless, outcropsin our northern states,
for we noticed, some years ago, that
farmers, who had incurred the very Sc
rious expense of undcrdrains for their
land, complained that the resulting
growth, though making II brave show OF
stem and stalk, did not give n CORE
spending increase of grain. In our lati-
tudc this evil tendency will he probably,
less manifest, because of the more rapid
decomposition Of vegetable matter, be
fore noticed, and n less propensity to the
encouragement of peat plants.
The farmers soil being his real bank
of deposits, we have tried to show with
the importance Of keeping well locked,
of the insecure doors. At another
time We may have something to say
about the proper mode of dcpositing in
it, for ~ in other good banks, incilc
draws and timely deposits are closely
Comcctcd.-J A. Gorcc, IN RUal CdrOlian,