St. Landry democrat., 1886-05-29
SANDY REGIONS.
The Disadvantages of Sandy Soils Scientific
caIIy and Practically Considered.


farmer who is DESTROYS of improving
sandy soil having no more than ten per
cent. of clay. are vastly greater than
with him who seeks to improve heavy,
worn clay farm One of the necessities
of plants, which form the staple crops
of our farms, is that they shall be firmly
fixed in the soil; this a sandy soil pre-
vents. Another is that the soil shall re-
tain moisture, and have the power of
absorbing it. Different soils possess
this quality in unequal degrees. During
a night of twelve hours, when the air is
moist, it has been found that 1000
pounds of a perfectly dry quartz sand
will gain by absorbing moisture, moth
ing; limestone sand, 2pounds; loamy
soil, 81 pounds; clay loan, 25 pounds;
pure clay, 81 pounds; and peaty soils,
or such as are rich in vegetable matter, |
a still larger quantity. Sir Humphrey
Davy found this property of absorbing
moisture to be possessed in the highest
degree by the most fertile soils. One
thousand pounds of such soil, when
made perfectly dry, absorbed 18pounds
in an hour, a sandy soil II pounds, and
heath sand but 3 pounds Water is as
essential to the thrift of plants as plant
food, and the above experiments show
that the farmer who provides the latter
in abundance, encourages quantity of
the former which his less thrifty neigh
Dor can not expect to enjoy. Another
necessary property of sandy soil is its
color, and still another its consistency
or cohesive power. Every observing
farmer has noticed that as his lands
were reduced in fertility, they became
lighter in color, but not every farmer is
aware that even the color is a quality
not to be despised in summing up his
losses. The absorption of heat in the
soil depends largely upon its color. A
dark soil will become warmer, and re-
tain the heat longer than soil of
lighter color. This dark color is usu-
ally given by the decayed vegetable
matter called humus, but sometimes a
dark-colored sand is found which has no
fertility, and its color has no value ex-
cept a speculative one, which enables
its owner to dispose of it to some one
unacquainted with its peculiar quality.
The consistency or cohesive power Of
a sandy soil is greatly enhanced by jul
dicious farming, and adding continually
to its stock of vegetable matter. This
tendency is due mainly to the alumina
produced by the growth and decay Of
gredient of clay soils, and they increase
in tenacityin proportion to the quantity
of alumina they contain. This mineral
is exciting much interest in scientific
circles on account of the many desira-
BILE qualities inherent in it, but, like
nitrogen and electricity, known to exist
in illimitable quantities, it is not easily
separated to minister to our mechanical
wants Most farmers have noticed that
the soil in an old fence row, on sandy
land, has much the appearance of a
CLAY mixture when it is turned by the
pillow, and also that says and low places
in otherwise sandy fields have much the
same appearance. This is due to the
alumina which has accumulated in,
or been washed from, the adjacent soil
to these low places. Those sandy soils
that have become heavier by good farm
ing, are made so by the growth and de-
cay of vegetable matter, which attracts
this earthly salt, and produces a physical
condition of soil that can not be sur
passed. Although this substance exists
SO largely in good soil, it contributes but
little in direct manner to the nourish-
ment of plants, as the small per cent. Of
alumina in the ash they contain proves.
The principal agency therefore is prob.
ably indirect, and of mechan.
icaI nature. 1t is said to absorb
ammonia, and to be very retentive
of moisture in the soil. A sandy sol
will become as dry in one hour as 8
pure CLAY in three, or apeaty soil in four
Generally speaking, those soils which
are capable of arresting and containing
the largest portion of rain that falls
retain It also for the longest period
Thus from 100 pounds of dry soil
water will begin to drop, if it be {
quartz sand, when it has absorbed q
pounds; from loamy soil when it has
absorbed 40 pounds; and from clay
loan when it has absorbed so pounds
a dry peaty soil will retain still great.
err proportion of water. Every consid
Grafton of prudence, of sound economy
and of good citizenship, would seen
then to impel every farmer to bend al
his energies to the improvement OF hi
soil. In such an endeavor, nature SEEM
to provide timely aids, and to becker
him. on with promises OF still create
rewards, to compensate for the effort
Farming can not become a success un
til the farm is at it's best. Nature Seems
to shut off its supplies to the poor farm
er. His rains soon evaporate, and biz
dews escape him. The alchemy tina
turns every thing to gold is not fount
in poor soil, but in rich one. Sane
49,