The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-05

having from 05 to 97.7O silica would
bo barren and worthless.
Alulnina. tho clay Of the soil, is m
Important agent. 1t retains ammonia
and other valuable materials which
would otherwise be washed away by
rains. 1t is the sponge Of the BODY,
humus, md retains tile dccayinu BAR
ticlcs Of vegetable and animal matters
from which it Is formed. 1t saves
some of the values Of air and rain
water as nitrogen or even free am
monia. II serves also for tho rctcn-
tion OF moisture in tho soil and to give
sufficient tcnacitv to the soil 10 hold
the roots of plants. Soil too open and
porous may he much improved by the
addition OF clay.
Lime is another important factor,
save that it enters largely into the strucl-
are Of some plants. One Of its princi-
PIE Offices, however, is to act as n
chemical agent on other substances,
particularly vegetable matter, which
It dccomposes and fits for plant food.
1t materially aids in decomposing pal-
tlcles on compact masses Of rock, and
thereby sets free elements of fertility,
and especially in granite soils does it
aid in setting free potash by aiding
decomposition. The lime Of the soil
Is not 50 active as our causlic or cal
cincd lime.
Iron exists almost universally, and
is found everywhere. Iron forms tho
coloring matter of clay-the beauti-
ful red tints Of fruits uud flowers. 1t
enters into plants to small extent, and
is not reco9 nized as ali essential ash Gle
mcnt. Potash aud soda arc very i'm.
portant ash elements, and widely
dilfused. Most red lands. or lands of
the primary formations, contain a free
supply of potash for most plants, and
need additions only for purely potash
plants, Us tobacco. Tie same is true
OF ma9ncsia.
Ihc tertiary or sandy formation is
poorly supplied with potash and soda
hence potash may be supplied to ad-
vantage on all crops in this region.
Phosphoric, sulphuric and car6onic
acids arc useful factors; the first ell
ters direct as plant food, the second is
solvent of any bone phosphate the
soil may contain, and the third is an
active chemical agent, us it acts rs a
ready solvent for certain mineral sub
stances which become plant food.
The supply Of ammonia in a soil
doubtless varies from time ito timc.
The air furnishes certain unknown
amount TO sufficiently porous soils.
More is supplied in the shape ofnitroucn
III rain water, the amount of which
we cannot measure. But from the
known result of abundant rains on
growing plants, and from the fact that
we recognize ammonia rs Il stalking
principle, we may safely arsu, enough
ram, enough ammonia from natures
storchou>c for all practical purposes.
The chemical analysis of soils, as a
general thing, will not greatly aid the
agriculturalist. a kind OF common
sense analysis with the eye and brain
will aid much. We can rcudilv learn
by experience that certain soils arc too
open or porous; others too close or
still. We can readily judge from the
rocks OF a section what its soil must
bc of, whether one of deposit or of
limited transport. All soils of granite
will bc open, those OF clay states close
and almost universally poor, and when
worn, deadly poor and sticky like
putty. This is strikinglv illustrated
~ the bottoms OF small streams run
slhle SECTIONS alternately win M make k,
the best bottom. but the longer streams
make the richest OF all. On our large
river swamps the richer sediment in
ovrrilows is deposited near the river
banks, and with it the cuarscst sand
and iiShtcSt particles Of mica wi.i"h
give r.>c to the name Of isinglasS lands,
Tue latter may, however. be set free
after being transported. The back
swamrs are generally made from ,he
finer matter held in solution and nre
c'o.c and clannmy with pipe clay sub
soil. They are generally well sup
piird with vegetable matter which.
combining viii. this pipe clay, gives
it blue tiII. Tnev are often STYLED
blue lands and alc Of little value cx-
cept for rice.
There is scarcely a plantation in our
State of which tile lands cannot be
materially improved by an udmixturc
OF soils. 1nl such aduiXlurc can often
be made at a triling cost. The addi-
ton OF sand to stiff spots and of clav
to porous lands viii, pay. The various
boys supply us vegetable matter for
exhausted lands. Lands are often too
stiff for want Of vegetable matter.
III some regions we are troubled
with countless flint rocks on the sur.
'acc. The plan OF old was to pile in
uhsccmly masses in the field. Now n
much easier plan would be to break
up these tlins into small masses Of an
inch or less. This can be. done at
,Io"t Ing same cost as billing. by a
Sco,ch plan, wh;ch uses for the plu-
p">c steel ball of one and half to
two pounds weight. having an eye for
fl xilc handle five or six feet
long. y single blow Of such ham
mcr III the hands of an expert will gen
orally crush into small and harmless
Fragments flint Of several pounds
weight. These quartz rocks GENERALLY
are filed Wilh sulpburets Of some
Kind, most generally Of iron. Exposed
{" the atmosphere. they dccomposc
rapidly and give up important cle-
mcnts to the soil. 1t is well known
that some of our most fertile soils are
covered with rocks. Their continued
fertility is due to the breaking mp and
decomposition Of these rocks.