The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-10-01

soil is 8 very open, porous material, ant
while water viii pass through it yer,
rapidly ifapplied In excess, still a larg'
amount is always retained in its cells
A hard, compact soil may be compared
toa close.grained brick, which will alb
sorb moisture to the amount that car
be stored in the minute spaces between
the grains Of sand and clay; and while
this may be considerable, the very com
pactness Of the brick is unfavorab,e tc
the retention Of moisture. The parti.
cles Of sand and clay Of which it is com.
posed touching each other, they become
ready conductors Of heat, and as this
passes from one to another the moisture
Is driven OF and what is termed rapid
evaporation occurs. Now q hard, com.
pact clay or loan soil is similar to q
brick, and the heat of the sun striking
the surface passes or is conducted down
ward, driving out the moisture in its
course, and at last the soil shrinks and
cracks open on the surface, and to q
greater or less depth, according to the
severity OF the drought. A sponge-ike
soil retains its moisture much longer
than q compact one. and for this reason
we have always advocated deep plow-
ing and thorough pulverization Of the
soil, even for those which do not need
undertaking. Clayey and heavy
loamy soils are greatly benefited by un-
derdraining, in addition to deep and
frequent breaking up and pulverizing.
We seldom have droughts so severe as
tn materially injure crops growing on
undetermined soils, or those which have
been worked over to the deDth Of from
sixteen inches to two feet, and this in
itself should be sufficient to make our
farmers pay more attention to the deep
ening of the soil on their farms. In ad.
dition to. deepening the soil, frequent
stirring Of the surface among cultivated
crops is very beneficial in times OF
drought, and on all kinds of soils. COL
tiyati1g just enough to keep down tina
weeds is at best poor attention, and il
good crops can be obtained under such
care, much better would be secured by
thorough cultivation. Market gardeners
are far ahead of the majority Of farmers
in the care which they bestow upon
their crops, and, we might add, secure
far greater returns for the labor and
capital invested. We call to mind a
neighbor who cultivates several acres of
light sandy soil, which has been under
the pillow for at least half century or
more; consequently whatever elements
Of fertility there are in it have been in
the form Of manure from time to time as
The different crops have been put in.
This land had been part Of An old farm
until three years ago, when our neigh.
Dor. who is known as Dutch Charley.
took hold Of it. He planted corn, pota-
toes, and Lima beans, the latter being
his ialty, and having little manure
o. ms for buying supply, all was
used IN tho hill or On top Of the seed
after planting. Batwhat Charley lacked
IN the way Of fertilizers he made I'D in
! cultivation and stirring the.soil. His
grounds being situated where We could
- what was heing done almost every
day during the season, we have had an !
excellent opportunity Of noticing what
cultivation win do for crops. His three
acres Of Lima beans have each year re. |
oeiyed as much attention in the way OF |
blowing ont and hoeing as any ten acres
q corn or potatoes on neighborine |
farms, and tho crop obtained fully paid
HnF tho nvfra 1,s,l<sva4 ;c,, .ssS r. Ill