The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-09
Deepening the Soil.

bstpeS, all OI winch are not generally
understood. There is much land that
can be doubled in its productive capac-
lty by simply running the pillow deeper
in other words, making one farm
serve the purpose of two. This, more
particularly, where the lower soil is
compact and raw, and therefore COM
paratively worthless. We find it in our
drift and our clays. The process is to
gradually deepen the tiilable soil, hav-
ing the elements to act upon it as it is
thrown up, aided and improved by ma
nure; crops. meantime, may be grown
OF improved yields. In this way deep
rich mold is secured in the place of a
shallow, easily impoverished soil, read
lily injured by drouth or an excess of
wet, yet if kept rich, good crop can
be grown in a good season; but the
seasons are far from being all good,
drouth and over-wet being the rule.
Against these, therefore, we have to
guard, and there is nothing like depth,
and especially rich depth to do this It
not only favors moisture at the surface
but it invites the roots downward to
greater moisture. This last is more i'm
portant and it applies to all the crops
grown. You have something here
against the heat and against the cold.
Such soil withstanding much better
the winters. lessening the effect of
the frost-there being less water,
and consequently less ice-and form
ing porous bed to carry off the
snow water so as to prevent the rotting
or smothering of plants. 1t will endure
double the amount of wet before the
crop is hurt and retain it's moisture
more than that longer, though it were
better, by underdrainage, to regulate
the quantity. Such soil, of all soils, is
the most lasting; this on account of it's
clay principally, which makes it reten-
tive and gives it body. But it is also
from the clay in it) delicate and re-
quires careful treatment. We all know
the effect of the wet spring blowing of
clay. 1t is not to be worked at all when
wet, for this is sure to make it harsh
and lumpy. So the trampling of cattle
and horses, and even of sheep and
swine, will pack and harden it. They
should be permitted on it only when
firm, not hard "a good soil never is
hard; poor clay always is when dry.
To deepen the soil and enrich it will
require much manure. But it is not to
be applied all at once; only from time
to time as wanted, which is yearly. at
first, some more than the crop needs
till the soil is perfected, having reached
its maximum capacity for profit, which
leaves 1T richest at the surface where
''le sward inverted and the applied en-
richment are, the subsoil doing it's work
below. giving a chance thus for aera-
ton and warmth without inverting the
whole body. Such land is an approach
to our river bottoms, and is worth more
for general purposes than that celebra-
ted soil. 1t is better for the grasses
and for wheat and of all soils makes
manure go the farthest, giving the
greatest effect for the quantity applied,
taking and keeping persistently what is
given it, yielding it only to the plant.
Here is land of first rate quality. Yet
its cost has been but triiie over the
expense of common tillage-a little
more horse power for a few years to
deepen and occasional after sub-soil
plowing to keep loose below; the ma
nure is best about the same, that would
Tin good Year, grow q good crop on
shallow soil. 1t is the mechanical con-
dltion principally, favoring chemical
action on the crude material through
the influence of air and warmth now
having access, aided by manure, that
forms the improvement. The point then
is to deepen the soil and keep the ma
nnre at the surface; it will find its way
down as fast as is necessary; but mainly
it will stay above, or at least sufficiently
long for vegetation to take it up if not
IN excess, some of the elements like nj
trogen passing off, which is more the
case in porous soils, as in the deep river
loans or with leachy land, only that the
river soils are also more or less promi-
nentiy rich below, and may levee, era-
ted and well drained, be brought up
more largely at a time by blowing, their
raw character having measurably dis
through the influence of heat
and air by the passage of warm, fresh,
erated rain water. So that this soil is
not only benefited by deep culture but
it may be done at one or two plowinos.
as our river and creek bottoms here are
= 0uSoOooAul ucIuO1SbTdtiOQ. llorG Is
no difficulty. therefore, to manage this
soil. Bnt let it be remembered that
such is not the case with our uplands
hat have lain compacted for ages and
that lack in general the proportion of
materials required for loose, well
trained soil, such as we find in the de-
oosit of the lowlands. There is in the
hill soil, and particularly some of the
olateaus, too much clay in want of sand
'r vegetable material. This last
must, therefore. be worked in and kept
n. A river soil may be so exhausted
IS to become hard; but the deposit of
Is overflow and the large amount of its
refuse (roots, stubble, etc. }
generally make it slow process. ex-
ended still further by drawing on the
iepths. which deep tillage alone accom-
'lished. Unfortunately some soils will
lot admit of deep culture as where the
'ock lies high. However good the land
nay be, this in drouth proves fatal to
he crops. The case is better where
,ravel or sand and gravel underlies the
oil. The drouth here has less effect:
md If the soil is largely composed of
Law tho 30 -