Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-10-21


they can be largely used indiscrimi-
nately, and thus adapted to mixed
farming.
Where the character of the soil is
more distinct, as in the extreme cases,
the distinction must be kept in view.
Untold loss has resulted from a disre-
gard of this. There are few farmers
working both soils that could not re-
port failures. These failures are sell
dom-though sometimes-total losses.
Our greatest general loss is in the di.
minution of those crops that pay a
profit. 1t is the pound, the bushel,
added that then tells the most, being
almost entirely clear profit, the addi-
tional expense to secure it infinitesimal.
This being the case, the Importance of
observing the distinction between the
soils and adapting the crops to them is
evident. 1t is only after years of ex-
perience that farmers having two va
rieties of soil profit by the knowledge.
Wheat and the grasses upon sandy or
hot soil, and corn upon clay upland,
has been practIced more or less since
farming began, and still continues to
some extent. The point of importance
here is that the same labor must b.
gone through with-plowing, harrow
ing, sowing, reaping-in the one case
as in the other. The loss is in not
adapting crop to soil. The advanced
farmer takes advantage Of this.
Wheat is raised in our valley soil
here but little, as it seldom makes sat
isfactory crop-the less satisfactory
when compared with thatgrow on the
hill clay land. Corn is not generally
grown on the upland of farms having
valley soil; yet in recent years with
our hot rather than dry summers, corn
has been success here, the two crops,
corn and wheat, so different in their re.
quirements, vying with each other in
growth. The penetrating roots of the
wheat found GOODNESS and moisture IN
the depth of the drained and well cul.
tivated soil the surface heat and mois
ture from stirring the soil favored the
corn. AS has been n-said, this occurs
only in exceptional years. The gen
eral practice is, each grain for the sol
to which it is suited. 1t is better ever
in the exceptional years to observe thi
distinction, as the crops retained il
their proper places will do better, tht
excess thus realized being, as has beer
said, nearly all clear gain, take on,
: year with another. 1t is only in th,
absolutely extreme seasons that an ex
ception can be made. All crops o
whatever description seem to do bette
this year on sandy soil with the prope
attention given it, than on clay witt
equal attentiOn-not only corn bu
wheat, the little we find, and grass a
, well as the spring grains, and hops il
particular 1t is the unusual moistur
of the season, supplying the soil wit
an abundance of water, and passing o.
% readily the excess, so that no harm re
> suits, every warm rain warming tn
. ground, as cannot so well be done i
clay-the crops on the heaviest clays
even with undertaking, suferin
= somewhat. But as the nature of tn
season cannot be fOreseen, our relianC
IL must be on the distinction of the soil,
} which, as the seasons run, is the mo:
profitable.
1t will thus be seen what mere S,
= lectiOn-no extra expense being r.
quired after the land is in condition
will do. Farmers must sooner or late
. come to the full observance of this, an
the sooner, the more advantage
~ themselves. 1t is in the correct maj
VI agement of our land, and in all that r
- lates to it, that our greatest succe
=" must be found, and there is no igno
~ ing of this. Nature does not chauy
~ her laws to suit our caprices. v
' must seek out and know what she d
Nv mands by experiment and observation
and no one, no system, is so well ada
III ted to this as the intelligent gener
I've farmer, farming as whole occupyi
~ all soils in all climates. The field
Is large, yet each has to do with his oN
-', locality only.
'ut
ne CARROTS and other roots cause an