The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-20
The Garden and the Farm.
CLOVER AS A sUBsoILRR.


The fact is frequently noticed by old
farmers that heavy and especially clayey
land rapidly becomes hard and compact as
and the mould from decaying leaves is ex-
hausted. For the first few years after
clearing the land no difficulty is expe-
rienced, large crops of wheat and other
grains are grown, and the soil seems TO pos
sess unlimited fertility. Farmers who
iudge of the strength of their soil by its
abundance of black loan think there is no
end to it. The soil, also, for while seems
dry enough, except, perhaps, in spring and
fall. After while something is found to
be the matter. The black mould on the
surface is turned TO the bottom of the fur
row, and in its place is turned up the clay
ey soil to be saturated with water in win
ter and spring, and bake dry in summer
heats. In few years the fields need un-
derdrainlng-or lacking that are condemn
ed as unfit for wheat and grain crops, and
seeded to grass for meadow or pasture.
Yet such soils are by no means go poor
as is generally believed. The elements of
fertility are there; but in unavailable forms
locked up in clods of earth which roots
cannot easily penetrate. The mechanical
condition of the soil is at fault. While
the land was newly cleared and unploughed
a thick coat of leaf mould covered and pro-
tected the surface. Beneath this in the
sub-soil were decayed and decaying roots
of trees, besides myriads of places where
the roots had deeayed ages before, forming
natural water-courses through which sur
plus water made its escape. No matter
how hard and unpermeable the sub-soil
seemed, it was permeated with these holes,
SO that if you dig anywhere in the hardest
soil three feet deep, place all the earth on
board so as to lose none, 1t will not nearly
fill the excavation. In making post holes
we have often found that, with four inch
and five-inch post, the earth taken from
the hole would not fill around it, and the
same experience holds good with drains.
This excavated soil is apparently looser,
and is really more permeabe than origin
ally, and yet it is evident that it ha, been
made more compact than before. 1t will
hold, perhaps, as much water but cannot
give it free vent through the channels which
nature established ages and ages before.
Thus the land becomes water soaked, re-
tanning moisture, retarding decomposition,
and generating acids poisonous to the roots
and plants AT the same time the surface
soil, being unprotected by forests. burns
and dries in the summers sun, and the veg
etable matter is washed away by rains or
evaporated in the atmosphere, besides he
ing taken up by growing crops. Under
such circumstances it is no wonder that the
soil becomes cold, "sour" and unproduc-
tive. What is the remedy?
A few years ago deep ploughing was
recommended as the panacea for all the ills
that soils are heir to. Thousands of acres
were permanently injured by injudicious
deep ploughing, throwing the fertile sur
face soil to the bottom of a deep furrow,
and bringing the cold subsoil to the sur
face. This, naturally. didn't work well,
and next we were told that the subsoil
plough was the specific, loosening the sub
soil, admitting air and moisture, and al
lowing the roots to strike deeper than they
otherwise would. Some of these objects
subsoiling will secure; but, when 1t is rec
commended In order to remove surface wa
ter and give a chance for its escape to the
subsoil, We protest. Nothing in our ex-
perience or observation confirms this view.
We have seen many experiments in sub
soiling without any apprecisble advantage,
and some with decided injury to the soil.
Both ploughing and subsoiing break up the
natural water drains which have been es-
tablished in heavy soil, and may thus en-
able it to hold more water in moderately
wet season, nut Win Inc certainty OF max
ing the soil water soaked and unproductive
whenever an excessively wet season comes.
When land ia thoroughly underdrained
these water courses re-establifh themselves
as surplus water finds vent through the
drains; but it isn't safe, YET, to give gen.
ersil advice fitted only for land that has been
underdraned. In the few Instances where
subsoiling has proved beneficial, they have
probably been followed by seasons when
there was no more rain than the subsoil
could hold without saturation. In such
cases subsoiling would probably prove ben
eficial, as the roots of plants can undoubt-
eddy more easily penetrate soil that has
been loosened than that which has not.
One other advantage Of subsoiling must not
be overlooked. 1t is probably the best pos
sble preparation for the clover plant, en-
abling Its root to strike deep and make
vigorous growth. These large clover roots
striking into the subsoil will speedily re-
establish the closed water-courses, and
leave the land nearly as light and rich as
when first the forest was cleared from its
surface.
Glover is much more grown on light,
gravelly or sandy soils than on heavy loans
or clogs. Farmers on these last fird 1t DIFF
| fcult TO get good catch. The reason 10
that the bard, cloddy soil Ia impervious to
clover roots. yet on getting good growth
Of clover depends all hope of success in
| -..1..t;,. tba coil Tho mamma