Connecticut western news., 1879-11-12
FARM AND GARDEN,
TREATMENT OF CLAY SOILS,

Ao An1AoFS nave 8 preJ Jud1Ce aSalnSG clay soils. Some have even declared that they would not take clay farm as a gift. Such an extreme prejudice may pc excused when it is considered how d 'tficult it is to work 8 clay soil we'll, that IS, with ease and profit. Clay land m wet season must lie untouched, while the light-land farmer whistles l1ght-heartedly behind his blow, turn ing his moist and mellow furrows. In dry season the clay turns up in Jumps which are as refractory, for the time oe1ng, as granite blocks. It is to obvi- ate these extreme conditions that the sklll of the olay-land farmer needs to be directed in season, For. in no other case IS forehandedness and readiness so necessary as in farming clay soil. If blowing IS neglected until the land is covered or soaked with water, the plow must necessarily remain idle, for to blow wet, heavy soil is to ruin it's texture for years. A clay soil that is fall plowed and only remains to be narrowed and sown Tn the spring may be put under crop In good season when otherwise it could not. The preparation of clay land, then, at this season is of great import ance to every owner of that kind of farm. At this late season the blowing of heavy land should go forward as rapidly as possible. It should be done, too, so as to expose as much of the soil to the effects of the winter weather as may be practicable, and to preserve it from the Injurious and delaying effects of possible wet spring. It should also be made the means of improving the fertility of the soil as we'll as it's me- chanical condition by bringing Up a small portion of fresh soil from below, and each year gradually deepening it. This cannot safely b5 done in the spring and only in the fall, for several reasons.
 In blowing heavy land the furrows should be turned nearly on edge or lap ping very little, so that the contour of the surface should present number of small angular ridges. It should be done in lands directed down the slope of the field, with open furrows between them, or If plowed with igel-plow, so as to make but one land, half the furrows lying in each direction, which is an ex- cellent method then water-furrows should be made down the slopes before the field is left, lest it may be aFt,rward neglected. Ridging land is fashion that is obsolete, because inconvenient In these days of reapers and mowers. The level blowing of 8 field is to be recommended. This is done with the swivel-plow, and the old-fashioned side hill plow, after all, does better work than any of the new-fas hioned heavy pretentious ones made to perform the work. It is done in the following man. ner An open furrow is made through the middle of tue field. This is then closed by two bouts. and back furrow is made where the open furrow was pre- viousjy. This insures the blowing of the ground, and avoids the leaving of 0 strip unplowed and only covered with soil thrown upon it. The swivel-plow is then run back and forth, each horse alternately in the furrow, until one-hali of the field is plowed up to eight or ten feet from the fence, when the other half is plowed in the same manner. The field is finished by blowing 8 head-land all around it mp to the fence. No other manner of blowing is so neat CT gives such finish ed appearance to field as this. The water -furrows should be made to carry off all the water that may fall on the land, and to this end should pass through each hollow and down to the lowest ground. After having been plowed out, the farrows should be trimmed with round-pointed shovel to insure the complete flowing-of of the water. On the manner in which this is done will depend the practicsbility of early narrowing and fitting the ground in the spring.
 Clay soil is usually rioh i'll the clements of fertility, but in an un- developed condition. Salt and lime have more active effect upon clay soils than upon sandy lands. Clay is usually rich i'll potash, because 1t consists of the debris of feldspathic, micacsous, or trap rocks, which contain much of this alkali in combination. To dissolve the fine particles, or disintegrate the larger ones of such a soil, is to enrich it in potash. Potash, again, in it's turn helps to disorganize vegetable matter i'll the soil, and this decomposition again, which is attended by the release of carbonio acid, helps to release more potash, and also lime, from the clay. Therefore the fall blowing of clay land, as well as the deeper blowing of it, by which new soil is rought up, tends greatly to its enrichment, the more so, as it is left in more open and lumpy condition, that the frosts, rains, and sums heat may break 1t up, mellow 1t, and decompose i5. But, further, as the presence of manure in the soil Is known to act and react, as has been pointed out, with great cff.ct, 9 liberal top dressing at this season upon the plowed ground-or plowcd in, if the ground is to be cross -plowed ill tue spring, but not otherwise-will be of much greater benefit than if given in tue spring. Loss of fertilizing matter need not be feared. That i5 proved a veritable bugbear, having no reality. The soil will take it all in and hold it ready for immediate use, when sown or planted. Finally, if clay land is wet in the bottom, not all the skill or labor that may be bestowed upon it will avail without drainage. This is imperative. The