Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-02-16
ABOUT SANDY SOIL.
The Treatment, Fertilizers and Crops Bes
Adapted to 1t.

clayey or black prairie soils usually
are. they produce exceedingly small
crops. In many cases these lands do
not yield enough to pay the taxes as
sessed on them and the cost of main
tanning fences, to say nothing of the
labor expended on cultivating them.
Farmers who have many acres of
sandy soil on their places are gener-
ally classed among those who are
'laud poor" They have as many ex-
penses rs farmers who cultivate very
fertile fields. They work as hard. but
they have little reward for their la
bor..
In countries where land is scarce
sandy soils are treated in such way
as to make them remunerative. This
is the case in France. Scotland and
Holland. The Dutch farmers in this
country generally manage sandy soils
so rs to secure good crops from
them. In the management of
sandy soils their peculiar composition
and mechanical conditions should be
carefully considered. They linarily
contain very little carbon and nitro
gen, the subs ances chiefly relied upon
to produce crops. They contain silica
to excess. and often contain all the
other mineral substances needed to
produce corn. small grain and pota-
toes. They need. however, soluble
fertilizers. such lis contain large
amount of nitrogen. The droppings
of fowls. the dung of sheep, hogs and
cattle constitute the best fertilizers
that most Western farmers can use on
them. They should be applied on or
near the surface, as all the soluble
portions of them will be washed out
by the rain and carried through the
soil TO the distance of several inches.
Manure must be applied to sandy soils
very often if they are planted to crops
that are heavy feeders. Vegetable
and animal fertilizers will not remain
in a sandy soil to benefit crops for sew
cral years as they will in soil largely
composed Of clay and humus.
Coarse, unfermented manure like
that taken from feeding yards, is OF
little OF no value to sandy land. If
left on the surface it will not rot, and
will be of no value except as mulch.
If plowed under it will render the soil
still lighter than before it was applied,
and in that way will injure it. Grecn
manure. quite free from straw, like
that made by cattle and thrown out of
barns during the winter. can be APP
piled to sand soils with advantage. 1t
will be dissolved by the rain, carried
into the loose soil, and there oxidized.
1t is Il good plan to apply it during
the winter if the land was plowed the
previous fall Manure is not likely to
wash away from sandy land. as no
hard crust froms over it. Common
as it makes it more firm and retentive
of moisture. Muck is also beneficial
for like reason. Being of dark color,
while the sand is ordin arily light, it
absorbs and retains heat Sometimes
there is a piece of clayey land adjoin-
ing one that is chiefly composed OF
sand. When this is the case both will
be greatly improved by carting some
Of each on the other.
Sandy land is generally plowed quite
TOO deep and too often; there is no adj
in blowing it deeply, and
there is often a positive injury. The
portion of it that is most fertile is on
the surface. It has been benefited by
exposure to the sun and air and by
being frozen and thawed. Deep plow-
ing renders it more loose. while it
should BE- made more compact. The
best time to plow it is in the fall, and
the worst time is in the spring, just
before planting or sowing. BY plow-
ing it in the fall the late rains render
it quite compact and in good condi-
ton to form q seed-bed. A harrow
can be employed to render the surface
fine. There are few Jumps in sandy
soils that need TO be crushed by Il roll
ell, but the use of one results in good
by rendering the soil more compact.
The land drag. which was described
in q recent issue, is an excellent imple-
ment to use on sandy land after it has
been plowed. 1t does the best work
when run across the burrows. 1t is
cheaply made. and if kept raised from
the ground and under cover, when not
in use will last many years. BY the
use of the drag and roller the soil
may be made as compact as it was be-
lore.
Sandy land is admirably suited to
the pre-! action of all kinds of early
crops, whether those generally raised
in the field or garden. Early varieties
Of potatoes, peas, beans, beets and
cabbage can DO planted on it to excel
emit advantage. Sweet-corn does re-
we'll on sandy land that has
been well-manured. The like is true
Of Lima beans. Very large crops of
-yo can be produced on sandy land.
The soil affords silica enough to make
the stalks firm and very strong. The
straw of rye raised on a sandy soil is
excellent for making thatch to use in
covering buildings and stacks. Ex-
,elent melons, pumpkins and squashes
can be raised on sandy soil. if liber-
al dose of manure and some clay are
put in the hills, and the whole ma'le
olerably firm by tramping. The
early Richmond cherry tree does well
On sandy land and produces an
abundance Of fine fruit A piece OF
sandy land can be utilized to excel
ant advantage in producing fuel. Conn
non whitewool trees can be started
N it from uttings, and if manure is
brown among them after they have
made a fair start. they will grow very |
.apidly. - Chicago Times.
Tho COWS of Georgia farmer |