The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-11-08
INDICATIVE OF KINDS
or SOIL.

| sou us the Wliu growth. L lc ODJcCt-
ions to chemical analysis as method
of learning the nature and qualities of
the soil is that ii is too special and cN-
pcnsive. "A portion OF soil may be
taken from one part of Il field which
will differ materially from that taken
from another part. The blowing down
of timber by storms, the accumulation
OF vegetable matter in low places, the
| situation and exposure of the land all
| exert a modifying influence upon the
character Of the soil. Were two chem
lists required to make analyses Of the
soil Ola particular field, and one should,
by chance, get his specimens from the
subsoil exposed to the surface 10y Il
blown.down tree, and the other should
get his from the spot where the body
of the tree dccaycd, they would make
quite different reports as TO the con-
stituent elements Of the soil. And yet
both would be strictly accurate rs re-
CARDS the elements of ;hc soil which
they analysed. The difficulty arlscs
from the impracticability of getting a
specimen of soil that represents COZ
recuy the average quality of an extend
ed tract of land. No chemist can tell
by analysis only whether field is pro-
ductivc or unproductivc, and the science
of agriculture has received Il check
because men of science have asserted
too positively their ability to determine
questions into which more conditions
enter than were thought of, and which
must be met by other methods.
There arc, however, uncrring indica-
tiOns by which an mcducatcd man
may Judge OF the capacity of the soil.
Among these indications there are
none which can he relied on with more
certainty than the wild growth. Ma
ture is always true to herself, and
never commits any error. She displays
her symbols Of abundance or signs of
distress. We know, for instance, that
green briers and sweet gum mean soils
low in productivcncss, but green bricrs
without the sweet gum are sometimes
met with on good soils. Bad soils rath-
cr than Eoor soils are the teachings of
those two yrowths taken together.
An acid, blush suhsoil, with stand
ing water through The winter and
in the summer parchcd T." cEaliy white
ness, is the habitat OF water oaks,
swamp maple, green bricrs and sweet
gum. Such lands, if drained and lined,
would probably make meadows or grow
cranbcrrics. by some il Is supposed
to be good for peach trees, but the
conpactncsS of the suDsoil would make
| them shOrt-livcd.
The trst-claSs tobacco soils in Ken
tucky and Tennessee may be known by
the growth of black jack and scrub
hickory, with an underground OF dog"
wood, hazel and black gum. Dog
wood, and more especially pawpaw, are
always Indicative of good lands. 1t
should be slightly undulating, with an
admixturc Of blacklsh red pebbles, an
| argillaccous rock with fossil remains
silicifed, but still retaining Il trace of
phosphoric acid. These pebbles, rest
ing on limestone, form an admirable
nataral drainage and make the land
much warmer, thereby fastening the
| growth of the tobacco and giving il /,
silky texture and iinencss which arc
rarely found in tobacco grown Oh
other lands. This character Of sol
also produces the finest cotton, ant
renders the plant comparatively frc,
from blight.
The land of most general utility, an,
which always responds most klndIy i'
the husbandman in all staple crops Eek
ccpting perhaps pcanuts), is known b,
the growth of poplar, sugar tree, beccl
and white oak, with an undcrgr0wtl
of dogwood and pawpaw. This is The
very best land also for bluegrass, anc
in the great bluegrass regions Of Ken
|
the characteristic growth.
Wild cherry, black walnut, yellow
poplar, ash and beech, with an under
growth OF dogwood, pawpaw and
blackberry, are indications of the very
best alluval soils, and for corn and hay
cannot be cXccllcd. Upon such land
cotton and tobacco make too much
stalk. Tobacco is coarse and cotton
natures too late. Wheat does well in
in dry year upon such soils, but is
apt to bed when there is much rain OF
wind. In all wheat lands there should
be sand enough to render the sol
mellow, and hence some Of the hes
wheat lands have masses Of ebert un
dcrlying them.
Among the poorest soil (but not tn,
| worst, bcCallSc tfcS may Dc improved
are those known by the blackjack an'
p0st-oak growth. These lands are
mostly level, intcrscclcd by numcrOu
wct-wcathcr branches, and produce
, coarse, barren grass, resembling broom
scdgc, upon which cattle Ifccd dring
, the summer. This Grass is poor i
, nutritious matter, and grows 50 thi
, that it poorly protects the land from
, the rays of the sun.
The common blackberry bricr (rubl
a villosus) is indicative Of good land, bu
| strange to say, it will flourish on IL
k poorest soil, gathering fresh strcngl
G. each year. 1t is a powerful fcrtiIizc
8 The roots penetrate deeply into Il
: subsoil, letting in the air and cXtrac
Il ing thcrcfrom fcrtlizing clcmcn
n which arc brought to the surface al
G retained by the mulch which the lcav
folm around the bush. The red, GALL
hilsidc that are too often found in {
South can be quickly and chcaply