Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-06
UNION AND AMERICAN.
FARM AND GARDEN.
AGRICULTURAL GEOLOGY.

To the Union and American:
CUMBERLAND CITY, July 25.-FOr
sometime l have been seeking answers
to two questions, but have 50 far been
unable to obtain them. VIII you
please answer them through the
columns Of your paper?
1. How does the sun kill or injure
land?
2. Why is the south side of a hill
rocker and more barren than the north
side?
The soil on the north side Of the hill
is rich and vegetation is large, while
on the south side Of the same hill the
soil is poor, rocky and vegetation is
small and serubby.
You will confer 4 great favor by an
swering the above questions.
INQUIsITIvE.
l. The sun does not injure land IN
less the nakedness of the soil exposes
the clay to bake and the fine loan and
mold to wash away. Poor land is
easily made poorer by heavy rains,
gullies and bad management on the
part IF the cultivator. He should
work and study to cover thin, poor
soils with grass and other useful plants,
which, growing by the aid of solar
heat and light, will improve the land
and prevent thesun irjuring 1t. Clothe
the nakedness Of thc earth with vege-
tation, and the sun viii never harm it;
plants supply all the shade that is
needed for any useful purpose.
2. The north and south sides of
mountains and hills are often of unlike
rocks and geological formations, Civ
ing rise to different soils and subsoils.
But if tbel0cks and their debris were
originally the same, having the Allan
tic and gulf to the south of the noun
tain and hill, and more rains coming
from these seas, the south side will be
most exposed to showers and washing
rams, have more loose earth removed
IN muddy streams, and mere boulders,
water.wOru rocks and stones left to
cover IN part the surface Of the ground.
To wash earth sand, clay, loan and
mold away Is u impOverish the ground
that remains and enrich the bottoms
of creeks, rivers and swamps that re-
ceive these deposits. The larger growth
of forest trees, with their numerous
roots, leaves, trunks and brush falling
on the ground on the north side of
hills and mountains, tends still farther
to check thu washing Of the soil Fer
tility is accumulative; a little fatness
of soil produces more; precisely as an
old field turned out to grow up in
sedge and pine, draws fertiIizing ma
terial partly from the deep subsoil
into which pine roots descend, and
partly from the atmosphere. The ele-
ments are ever at work chemically and
geologically.
A large oak, poplar or walnut tree
represents a good deal os valuable food
adapted by nature to the wants of corn
wheat, tobacco and cotton. Such trees,
including their annual crops Of leaves
and growing roots are a storehouse Of
manure which demands good husband
~ 10 save from running, In part at
least, down into the ocean. The fer
tility of river mud should be retained
on every mans farm, no matter on
which side Of a hill or mountain 1t
NAV chance TO lie. Make thick blue
grass. white and red clover grow, stop
ping all loss soil, and the land Is sure
to improve. Orchard grass, red top,
timothy, oat grass and several fescues
Will pay for seeding, either for pasture
or meadows. Tennessee has millions
Of acres of hills, valleys, mountain
sides and coves, which ought to be
seeded down TO the best European
grasses for all stock-growing pur-
poses. Our rocks, soils and climates
greatly favor this profitable and pleas
ant industry. East Tennessee eTcels
IN grazing advantages; but in every
part Of the State grass and fine stock
may be grown at a fair profit. South
ern sunshine can be utilized every day
IL the year, as Providence sends 1t.
Never permit NAKED land to remain
naked long unless a barren rock. Old
fields may be recuperated by planting
forest trees, such as locust, mulberry,
oak and chestnut. Their leaves are
fertilizers.