St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-02-25
ABOUT SANDY SOIL.
The Treatment, Fertilizers and Crops Best
Adapted to 1t.

regarded by western iafhnefs are pos
sessing very little value. Treated as
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
sland poor" They have as many ex-
penses as farmers who cultivate very
fertile fields. They work as hard, but
thew have little reward for their la
bors.
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 as to secure good crops from
them. In the management OF
sandy soils their peculiar composition
and mechanical conditions should be
carefully considered. They rdinarily
contain very little carbon and nitro
gen, the substances 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 as contain a 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
eral years as they will in a soil largely
composed of clay and humus.
Coarse, unfermented manure, like
that taken from feeding yards, is Of
little or 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. Green
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 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
clay is highly beneficial to sandy land,
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 ordinarily light, it
absorbs and retains heat Sometimes
there is 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
vantage in blowing it deeply, and
there is often a positive injury. The
portion of it that is most fertile is on
the surface. 1t 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 pillow 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 seed-b A harrow
can be employed to render the surface
fine. There are few Jumps in sandy
soils that need to be crushed by roll
or, but the use of one results in good
by rendering the soil more compact.
The land drag. which was described
in 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. It is
cheaply made. and it 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 1t was be-
fore.
Sandy land is admirably suited to
the production of all kinds Of carly
crops. whether those generally raised |
ia the field or garden. Early varieties
Of potatoes. peas. beans. beets and
cabbage can be planted on it to excel
emf advantage. Sweet-corn does re-
markably we'll on sandy land that has
been well-manured. The like is true
If Lima beans. Very large crops of
we can be produced on sandy land.
The soil affords silica enough to make
,he 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