The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-01
TEXTURE IN SOILS.
Its Effect Upon Fsr,iiity and Produe
tiOn. .f

Its Effect Upon Feriiiity and Produe'
American Agrtfultarls..
The proper mechanical texture in soils
Is essential to fertility. On the texture oil
soil depends, not only its suitableness for
the growth Of different crops, but likewise
the rapidly Of their growth. 1t is this
also which regulates, to a great extent, the
soils power Of absorbing and retaining
heat, moisture and manure. To be fertile
the soil must be firm enough to afford a
proper degree OF support to the plants
which grow in II, and yet loose enough TO
alloy the delicate fibres OF the rootlets 10
extend themselves in all directions. II
must be OF such "a texture aS TO allow the
free access Of air, without which plants can
not live; add it must be close enough to
retain, Tor considerable time, the water
which falls on t and at the same time
porous enough toallow the excess TO drsin
away. In this respect the nature OF the
sub.soil and the depth oil the surface soil
are both OF them important. When soil
rests Immediately upon a bed Of rock or
gravel 1t will be naturally drier than
where the sub soil ia Of clay and mari. On
the other hand, a clay sub soil may be OF
material advantage 10 sandy soil, by
enabling it to retain moisture longer in dry
weather.
For the fertility Of soil depends not
only on it's cOmpositiOn-n0t only Its
wealth as a full storehouss OF what the
growing plant needs as food, but on Its
efficiency as laboratory In which the
materials thus required are prepared for
use. And it Ia in lis relations TO the water
which ia the great carrier to and fro OF the
ingredients which are at once the chemicals
In this laboratory and the food in this
storehouse, that the efficiency OF a soil in
both these characters, and therefore It's
fertility, very materially depends! Unless
there Be sufficiently free passage for the
rain water throughout the substance oil the
soil, neither will the food Of plants be pro.
perry prepared, nor the stationary roots oil
plants be fed. 1t is the great change thus
introduced into wAter.logged soils by land
drainage that It's extraordinary power as q
fertilizing agency depends. .vs
The relative fertility OF a soil Is further
dependent on the climate wherein 1t lies.
Disregard OF local conditions us to rainfall,
temperature, aspect, high above the sea,
and other necessary circumstances, may
Head to very erroneous estimates OF the
value OF soils. They may be the same in
composition and texture, and yet differ
greatly in yalne. Nothing 10 more certain
than that the amount Of rain, and the sea-
son OF its descent, determine in great de-
gree the nature Of the hhsbandry Of the
place, and the value Of It's soil for agricul.
ture. The temperature Of the air in any
particular locality has an important bear.
ing upon the actual productiveness Of
The soil, whatever may be its composition
and texture, and however propiiously the
rain may fall upon it. Other things being
equal, we should expect that sheltered stu.
atoms, with good southern aspect would
be those in which we should find the capa.
bility OF any given soil best exhibited.
Bat though soil and rain and duly.temper-
ed warmth favor us, these and many other
considerations besides, may fail to deter
mine, in every case, whether this or that
plant may be grown within particular
limits. That also depends on the presence
or absence Of It's proper food, and it Is here
that art is available for meeting the defects
OF nature |ta frI ..f a.