Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-11-24
Guupsrs Glurksburg ReqIatrr
FALL pLOuGHING.

The question is often asked, whether
fall ploughing is advisable? 1t may be
advantageous or injurious, according to
the character of the soil, and the circum-
stances under which it is performed
Soils which are too loose in their texture
are liable to have their soluble matter
drenched out of them, if stirred late in the
fall, by the heavy rains of winter and
spring. Hillsides are, also liable to be
washed and quilted by the same causes.
Again, the particular time in the fall at
which ploughing should be done, is an inn
portant point, and this must be determt-
ned by the objects which it is sought to
attain. If the land is in grass, and 1t is
wished to have the sward rotted by the
following spring, the ploughing should be
done early in autumn, in order that the
warm weather may bring on decomposi-
ton before winter. 1fploughing is defer
red till the commencement of cold wealth
er, but little change will take place in the
sward before spring little that, if cross
Ploughed, much of the grass will be found
alive, and by being again brought to the
surface, will grow and obstruct the growth
of the crop which i put on the land or
increase the expense of cultivation.
On clayty soils, there is still another
disadvantage in connection with late
pIgdghing, if it is done in the ordinary
way. The soil is liable to be made into
mortar, and run together by rains, so that
by seeding-time it becomes closely pack
ed 1t is difficult after this to bring the
soil into the friabe condition required to
tit it for a crop, without ploughing again,
and that operation would bring back the
undecomposed sod, to which, as Just re-
marked, there are weighty objections.
So far as regards the improvement of
the texture of soils, it may be assumed that
those of a clayey and tenacious nature, and
those only, may be benefited by late
ploughing. The improvement in such ca
ses results from the division of their parti-
cles by the action of frost by this their
cohesion is overcome, and access given TO
the air, which dispels acids injurious to
vegetation-thus rendering soluble and
available to plants, the food which was
before inert. But these desirable results
can only be obtained by the soil being fro
zen when it is in a paratively dry state
If it is wet at the time it is frozen, and
remains so till it is thawed and settled, nc
pulverizing effect is produced, the favora-
BILE agency of the air is excluded, and the
soil remains in an ungenlll state.
To obtain these advantages of frost, the
soil should be thrown into narrow ridges
by turning two burrows together, i'll the
manner called back burrows The fur.
rows should be made in the direction bes
calculated to drain off the wafer without
allowing it to form large streams as these
might gully the land. This kind of plough
ing can be done to the best advantage OF
land that has been under cultivation one
season, or more 1t can be done witt
sward-ground, but, as before stated, the
grass will come to the surface when it is
cross-ploughed in the spring, requi,
ring much labor to destroy it. If
however, sward ground were ploughed il
August, or the first of September, the
sward would become dead, and so far de
composed by November, that it might bt
cross pIoughed in ridges with advantage
The later in the season the ridging cal
be done the better, as the soil will be NOR,
fully exposed to the action of the frost
before the ridges have been washed dowl
with rains. The ridges should be made
as high and narrow as practicable, in or
der that the frost and air may act thor
Oughly on the soil.
There is no operation which tends Sc
much to produce friabilty in tenaciou.
soils, or which so much develops thei
fertility, and insures the growth of crop!
as ploughing them late in the fall, in tn,
manner above described. But to derive
the full advantage of the operation, thu
soil should be properly under-drained.-
This will admit the descent of water 81
readily, that the soil will remain permea
BILE and open; but if the water remains
long in the soil, the beneficial effects o
Pulverlzation will be comparatively tenn
POrary. The soaking of the soil will re
duce 1t to its former heavy condition.
Other advantages are claimed for frl
ploughing, which do not relate to the i'm.
Provement of the soil such as that of the
destruction of worms, in some instance:
the killing of noxious plants, and in Other
instances the convenience of doing the
work at season when the farmer has
more leisure, and his team is, perhaps, il
better condition to labor, and may b.
kept at less expense than in the spring.
As to the destruction of insects, sucl
accurate experiments have not, so far a.
we know, been made, us would show tho
advantages of fall ploughing in this re
spect. 1t may be remarked, however
that worms prepare themselves for win
ter by descending into the earth, more
or less and it, after they have fixed them
selves in their position, they are turned
up to the air, while the weather is so colo
as to prevent their motion, it is reasona
Die To suppose that before spring many o
tnem would be killed. 1t is thought tha
'nls mas been favorable to the destruction
OIL "lre-worms, which are generally mos
PreNaent on deep soils and those of a
mucky character, though they sometimes
do much injury on clays.