The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-11-07
TREES INDICATIVE OF KINDS
OF SOIL.


n of learning the nature and qualities ,
+ the soil is that ii is too special and e,
), pcnsivc. a portion oi soil may L
n taken from one part of field whlc
q Will differ materially from that take
= from another part. The blown inc dow
y OF timber by storms, the accumu!ato
4 oil vegetable matter in low places, tn
situation and exposure of the land n
. exert modifying influence upon TN
q character OF the soil. Were two chem
+ lists required to make analyses of tn
soil ola particular field, and one should
ny chance, get his specimens from tn
! Subsoil exposed TO the surface by
downtown tree, and the other shoul,
r get his from the spot where the bod
OF the tree dccaycd, they would max,
quite different reports as TO the con
sutuent clements of the soil. And We
both would be strictly accurate rs re
CARDS the elements of The soil whicl
they analyzcd. The difficulty alsc.
from the impracticabili'y of getting ,
specimen of soil that represents cor
rcctly the average quality of an extend
ed tract of land. No chemist can tel
oy analysis only whether field is pro
ductlvc or unproduCtive, ard the science
of agriculture has received 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 are, however, unerring indica-
tons by which an meducatCd man
may judge of the capacity of The soil.
Among these indications there arc
none which can be relied on with more
certainty than the wild growth. Ma
turc is always true to herself, and
never commits any error. She DISPLAYS
her symbols of abundance or signs of
distress. We know, for instance, tha,
green bricrs and sweet gum mean soils
low III productivencss, but green briers
without the sweet gum arc sometimes
met with on good soils. Bad soils rath-
er than roor soils arc the teachings of
those two growths taken together.
An acid, blush subsoil, with stand
ing water through the winter and
III the summer parchcd To- chalky white
ness, is the habitat of water oaks,
swamp maple, green brcrs and sweet
gum. Such lands, if drained and lined.
would probably make meadows or crow
cranbcrries. By some it is supposed
to be good for peach trees, but the
cOnpactncss of the subsol would make
them short-Hvcd.
The lirst-claSs tobacco soils i'm Ken
tucky and Tennessee may be known bv
the growth of blackack 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
admiNturc of blacklsh rcd pebbles, an
argillaccouS rock with fossil remains
siIicilicd, but still retaining 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 lincness which are
rarely found in tobacco grown on
other lands. This character of soil
also produces the finest cotton, and
renders the plant comparatively free
from blight.
The land of most general utility, and
which always responds most kindly TO
the husbandman in all staple crops (cX-
ccpting perhaps pcanuts). is known by
the growth OF poplar, $, gar tree, beech
and white oak, with IN underground
of dogwood and pawpaw. THIS is the
very best land also for bluegrass, and
in the great bluegrass T., gions of Ken
tucky and Tennessee these trees are
the characteristic growth.
WiiG cherry, black walnut, yellow
poplar, ash and beech, with an under
growth of dogwood, pawpaw and
blackberry. are indications of The very
best alluvial soils, and for corn md hay
cannot be cXccllcd. Upon such land
cotton and tobacco make too mech
stalk. Tobacco is coarse and cotton
natures too late. Wheat does well i'm
in a dry year upon such soils, but is
apt to bed when there is much rain or
wind. In all wheat lands there should
be sand enough to render the soil
mellow, and hence some of the best
wheat lands have masses of ebert um-
dcrlying them.
Among the poorest soil (but not the
worst, because they may be improvcd)
arc those known by the black Jack and
post-oak growth. These lands are
mostly level, interscclcd by numerous
wet-wcathcr branches, and produce a
coarse, barren grass, resembling broom
sedgc, upon which cattle feed dringu
the summer. This grass is poor in
nutritious matter, and grows so thin
that it poorly protects the land from
the rays of the sun.
The common blackberry brier (rubus
villosus) is indicative of good land, but,
strange to say, it will flourish on the
poorest soil, gathering fresh strength
each year. 1t is a powerful fertilizer
The roots penetrate deeply il to the
subsoil, letting in the AIR and extract.
ing thcrcfrom fcrtllIzing elements
which are brought TO the surface and
retained by the mulch which The leaves
form around the bush. The red, CALLED
hillside that are too often found i'm The
South can be quickly and chcaply re-
claimed by setting them out will
blackberry bushes. They enrich
shade and protect the land from wash
ing, and supply a berry that is growing
in demand and commercial importanc,
every year. We know Of no plan
| t, Il