The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1880-07-22
agricultural.
LOOSE SOIL AS 4 MULCH.

4QOGG 0GA6 AAG 50 49, ~ ~~~ $500
There is no occupation in which
observation and experience lead to
such varied conclusions as in agri-
culture. There il none in which
such differences of opinion exist
about the effects of the most common
practices.
To come directly to the matter 10
hand we find that farmers differ as
to the proper course to pursue 10 'ne
cultivation of crops during periods
of unusual Troublesome stop pillow
ing as soon as the ground becomes
dry. while others continue the plows
for the purpose of stiring the ground.
Now both or neither may be right,
according to circumstances, but the
true reasons for the practice in eth
err case seem not to be we'll under
stood. and hence neither can give
satisfactory grounds for bis practice.
A little investigation and observation
will readily satisfy any one as to not
only the true policy, but the reasons
for its adoption.
Stirring the soil after a rain facll-
itates its dryness, by exposing fresh
particles to the solar rays, and stir
ring a soil that is already loose will
have the same effect when it is dry.
After every rain a crust forms on the
surface of cultivated soil the thick
ness of this crus. will depend upon
the character of the soil, its mechan
icaI condition at the time, and on
the character of the weather succeed
ing the rain. So long as this crust
remains unbroken rapid evaporation
proceeds, while free circulation of
the air among it's particles is pre-
vented by the quasi cement which
exists on the surface. The sell,
therefore, '. hich has not had its crust
broken after rain gives off its mois~
ture freely to the air by evaporation
while it prevents restitution of mois'
ture from the air by absorption.
Stir the soil after each rain enough
to break the crust and leave loose
surface soil of an inch or two on top,
and it serves as a mulch, which pre-
vents evaporation from below, just
as coating of pine straw or sawdust
would, and yet admits of free cir~
culation of air, and during the night
robs it of a portion of its moisture.
Any one who wishes to verify this
statement can do so without any in
struments to measure the amount OF
moisture in the soil, but by mere oc"
cular examination of two plats of
land, on one of which the mulch has
been made by breaking the crust,
while on the other the crust has been
allowed to remain undis'urh'd. We
have made this examinati. n and
con parison repeatedly, and have in
variably found that which was
mulched with loose earth, though
similar and similarly treated in every
other respects, contained not only
more moisture than that covered
with the crust, but the moisture was
nearer the surface Immediately be-
low the loose stratum of earth.
Every one has observed the mois
ture of soil recently stirred, in early
morning, compared with that adja>
cent with crust on it. The general
ly attributed to the rising of the
moisture from below and the impress
sion is equally prevalent that the
moisture does not rise by capillary
force from below, 10 the soil covered
with a crust. The true explanation
of these phenomena,we think, is this:
Where the soil is stirred and po-
rous, loose surface covers it, the
moisture rises, but is arrested when
it reaches this mulch of loose soiI.-
Not only 50, bat the air penetrates
this porous surface ard robbed of
portion of its moisture. While, in
the case of the undisturbed soil, the
moisture not only rises from below,
but passes off into the air, while
free circulation of air in the soil is
prevented by the presence of the
crust
What then is the true policy 10
cases of drought We say unhesta~
tingly, stir the soil once after the
rain, to destroy all young grass and
weeds which the rain has caused to
terminate, and to secure the loose
surface for a mulch, and then leave
it until it rains again, unless a new
crop of grass and weeds renders 40
other blowing necessary. Subse>
quent blowing before rain will on
ly tend to increase the effects of the
drouth. No matter how free from
grass or weeds the crop may be at
ter rain, stir the soil as early rs
possible after each rain and leave it
mulched. --Milledgeville Union.
BERKSHIRE HOGS.