The Newtown bee., 1880-10-27
FARM, GARDEN AND HoUsEHOLR
About Managing g Raw son.


 Although it is known that raw soil brought up to the surface in large quan- titles is hurtful to the crop upon it, yet to what extent, and especially with the different kinds of soil, is not so we'll un- derstood. More or less immediate harm | is the result. And yet to make use of this undersoil is benefit, in that it deepens the tillable land, affording | chance for the better extension of the roots and for circulation of air, develop ing also new available fertility, which is so much gain, but which, in it's original state, is of little use, and, when compared l with the upper aerated and worked soil is damage, as it lessens the crop, the | degree of which is dependent upon the amount brought up. If the plow runs
 deep, so as to bury the upper soil. bring
 ing up the other to form in its place the seed bed, and for slight roofing plants to get their nourishment from, there will be failure in clay soil, or where there IS less chance for air to circulate or water to pass through-in other words, in a
 hard or dense soil, which is also, in general, a cold soil.
 Where there is free ventilation and good drainage, as in sand and among
 the shades, there is little difference be-
 tween the upper and lower soils. Indeed,
 we often hnd it the case that to blow deep is an advantage; not alone for the
 reason that the undersoilis well aerated
 and warmed, but the fertility in such soil gradually works down, there being 8 lack of clay or absorbent to hold it. Hence the lower soil becomes enriched
 sometimes richer than the upper suggesting the remedy at atocce-lightand frequent, rather than large and less fre- quent applications of manure. which, of course IS to be kept as much as possible
 at the surface, every rain lowering 1t in
 the soil, and wet season or a few | drenching rains washing 1t out, so that
 only the deep-rootilg plants, like the
 clovers, and notably lucern, get the bene- fit below. The small creeping blue grass, timothy, and others show the de- privation of nutriment by stunted
 growth and bleached appearance, simi-
 lar to the effect of a drought, which, oc-
 curing after the rains. speedily puts an
 end to the grass. This is well known in
 sandy districts. When the rains are light, keeping the surface moist without
 washing down, the best result follows.
 This was the case in this section in the
 summers.of 1877 and 1878. With suffi
 cient manure Cat the surface) the growth
 was rapid and maturity early.
 Raw soil, therefore, concerns us very
 little in land of a leachy character. The
 great care to be exercised in this respect
 is in all hard or densely- packed under
 soils. Such land is usually given snai-
 low culture, which excludes from suc-
 cessful cultivation most of the deep
 roofing plants, such as corn, root crops,
 berries of all kinds, trees and shrubs,
 the grape, and in extremely dry and wet
 weather all the crops that the farmer
 raises. It is only by the plentiful use of
 manure and care in cultivation that the . | land 1,o rladp fo nd ,ot satisfactorily. The evil-raw soil-is soil 1s d5fhe speGGfssGa eG aIa hrinR ua. this soil is to spoil all for years till the ele- ) ments have had their action upon 1t, aided by the plow. Then there will be decided improvement for the bet ter, and with continued deep culture q permanent character will be given. The l blowing is to be continued deep, or : the subsoil plow is to aid, to be used ? whenever the land is titled, when neither too wet nor too hard, so as to ) break in Jumps, leaving hollow places. But it is better, instead of inverting : large body of soil. which will lie years 5 without benefit, to bring up a little st 8 ? time, each blowing deepening the till 3 able soil till the depth wanted is reached l This is acknowledged the best practice, as it admits of crops being grown right 2 along without diminution, and after the \ first year or two increasing in yield. The blowing should be done in the fall ] so as to have the raw soil in a thin layer @ exposed to the frost. coat of manure : should be given so as to have the layer of wild soil between the good ground = below and the manure above, with the
 frost and the elements operating, and
 with the spring cultivation making 8
 seed bed that seldom fails to be satls q factory. The next blowing buries thi; l, mellow.and rich surface soil, deepening ], and enlarging the root bed below, anc 5 new soil is again brought up and treated !, ? as before. It will readily be seen that Il takes only Q few years to completely /, change this soil. and make quite su' perior one of it. But this cannot bt /. done. successfully in most of our clay: : without first draining the land, thi! ? being worth more than all the blowing Y v and it is the more necessary to it's sue , cess, as often the soil is hurt witbou = 1t, and in some seasons 1t Is impossible d to plant 1t on account of the wet ;. But it will be long time befor S our clays are drained, this importan 2 work of the farm being put off or ignored - and bad made worse, for wet land (clay can be worked only to its injury, an, q cannot be much benefited by deepening v as manure has not much effect on we land, and the soil, not only below bu = more or less throughout, is of a raw ma Ia ture and cold and sour in the bargain .o It is pity to continue to work suci lu r land in this condition, and no other cal Il Il be reached without drainage.
 m Drainage will entirely change it ,t character, and eminentIy fit it for tha ~ z other change of deepening and enriching ', Meanwhile, on land where the wate ,o line is lower tie work of improvement re may go on until the whole is reclaimed 'S If farmers only knew what advantag ,1 lay within their reach, the work woul Q at once be begun. There is no excuse any one may begin on small scale. th
 benefit increasing the means for furthe
 advancement, till the task is accon
 plished, doubling the value of the farm
 -F. G., tfs Country Gentleman.
 is Household Hints.
 Keep tea in close chest or canister. in Keep coffee by itself, as its odor affec Tt other articles.
 Bread and cake should bekept in ti ir box or stone jar.
 d, Butter that is made in September an
 October is the best for winter use. ot Oranges and lemons keep best wrapps 80 close in soft paper and laid in a drawe
 Lard should be hard and white, ar g that which is taken from a hog over ey year old is the best.
 m Soft soap should be kept in a dry pla hhss in a cellar, and should not be used t of three months old.
 To select nutmegs pick them with in pin. If they are good the oil will ,st stantly spread around the puncture. en Meats of any kind should not
 washed, but wiped with a towel to pI od serve the juices and quality.