The Field and Fireside
Vol. I.
Marietta, Georgia, March 13, 1877.
Agricultural.
THE MINING INTERESTS.
No one acquainted with the Geological formation of this and adjacent counties, doubts that
there is, underlying the surface, at less or greater depths, mineral veins, of inestimable value. Practical
mining has already developed some of a superficial character and the opinion strengthens daily that the
great veins will be reached when practical mining has once been applied with the requisite capital and
skill. We wish to do all we can in the advancement of an interest so important and if parties interested
will furnish specimens, description of locality, with such analysis as they can obtain, we will keep a
Cabinet in the office of the FEILD (sic) AND FIRESIDE, and call the attention of the mining interest at a
distance to everything worthy of remark.
SMALL FARMS AND THOROUGH CULTURE.
Although some of our Alabama farmers well understand the advantages of small, rich, compact
farms, yet many seem to persist in adhering to old ruts; operating on extensive sterile surface (made so
by exhaustion) with all the appertaining drawbacks, such as keeping up extensive inclosures, slip-shod,
shallow and untimely plowing, scanty manure, etc., resulting in poor crops, both as to quantity and
quality; besides, loss of time, wear and tear and sowing, reaping, hauling and housing, difficulty in
keeping down weeds, briers and numerous other disadvantages too tedious to mention. Better draw in
fences, sell, or even give away the surplus fields, unless you have capital and force for large operations.
Plow deep in fall or winter, and manure thoroughly the reserved acres. If careful attention and high
feeding produce fine stock, there is no reason why high manuring and high culture should not produce
great yields and profitable crops. There is, of course, a point beyond which manuring becomes waste,
but it is hardly probable that any farmer is likely to reach it.
Each farmer had better find out by experience what fertilizer is best suited to his soil and crops.
This can soon be ascertained, and trials in a small way are inexpensive. The experience of others, in this
regard (soils being various), may lead to inefficiency and loss; the diversified character of soils render
this course absolutely necessary to insure the greatest benefit from almost any commercial fertilizer,
and also to what extent it will profit him to use it.
As to barn-yard and stable manure it is good everywhere, and the farmer is not apt to have it
spread in quantities that would prove injurious. It is not too late to make compost pens, and to collect
all available substances suitable for manure that can possibly be collected. If this is done there will be a
big pile by the next spring suitable for the cornfield, the orchard, the garden, especially good for cotton.
We repeat that in our present circumstances and situation, and in fact, under almost any
circumstances, the proper cultivation of small, rich farms has so many advantages over large ones that it
is really strange that more of our farmers do not adopt this system. Many of them have children, both
sons and daughters, who, unless provided for, will be compelled to seek homes in Western wilds, or
remain here in almost hopeless poverty, unsettled and dissatisfied. Better divide and let them have the
portions you expect to give them when you become old and will only want a surface 4x8 feet. They
would then know what to be at. These different portions would soon be improved and utilized as they
should be.--And then the satisfaction of having one's children comfortably settled around and
contiguous to the old homestead can only be appreciated by those who have tried it. The seasons bring
round the holidays. The Christmas turkey and sweet potato pies come once a year, with all the surviving
loved ones present under the paternal roof, where all can enjoy each other's presence and the good
cheer and bounteous board.
If our children have already dispersed and ignore farming, better by far sell or give the honest
poor man our useless broom sedge acres. Give them homesteads if they can not buy; or, at any rate,
allow them easy terms and set them to work. They will soon make things look different. The State can
not afford to continue losing this valuable part of her population. Help them to homes; retain the
population and aid in reviving the prosperity and in utilizing the vast resources that turn within her
borders.
We always feel misgivings of ability to give valuable advice, but so confident are we in the
advantages and good policy of the above suggestions that we feel we should no longer withhold them
from the consideration of our brother farmers.--[Southern Farmer.
THE ABSORPTIVE POWER OF SOIL
It is an important discovery of recent date, that soils have the power of separating not only
ammonia but other bases also from their solutions, and of holding them with great tenacity after their
absorption. Thus 100 grains of clay soil, taken from the plastic clay formation of England, absorbed 1050
grains of potash from a solution of caustic potash containing one per cent. of the alkali. It is interesting
to observe that the liquid was not, in this case, filtered through the soil, but the cold solution was
merely left in contact with it for twelve hours.
It has been further shown that soils have the ability to separate the alkaline bases from the acids
with which they are combined.--When saline solutions were slowly filtered through soils five or six
inches deep, the liquids which passed through were deprived of their alkaline bases, as potash, soda,
ammonia and magnesia, and only the acids were to be found in combination with some other base.
Thus, when muriate of ammonia was filtered through the soil, the ammonia was removed, and a
corresponding quantity of lime, in combination with muriatic acid, was found in the filtered liquid. In the
same way, sulphate of potash was deprived of its base, and the liquid collected gave sulphate of lime.
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