Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-04-09
From the Southern Cultivator.
L. c. HOss, Sec'y.

From the Southern Cultivator.
DEEP PLowING-CULTIvATIoN OF CORY
PRESERVATION OF PorAroEs, &c.--Nessrs. Ed
TORS: 1t being a wet day, unfit for outdoor bu-
sness, thought | wonld sieze this opportunity
of putting few thoughts together and send you
for your disposal. have noticed some pieces
in your paper on deep blowing, which, III the
main, think correct, and which has been my
practice for years. But when break with spon-
toons or turning plows, am always governed,
as to Depth by the depth of the soil; as my ex-
perience is, that blowing with these kind Of
plows, or any turning pillow, if you stir up the
clay, and throw it to the top, you injure your
land, unless it is well MANFRED, and then you
may pillow as deep as you please. Nor am 1 in
favor of turning plows for common land, unless
you have MANFRED broadcast; they will then do
in order to throw under or cover up the manure.
Nor am in favor of turning in old or dead
grass; much prefer burning it, for observation
has taught me that where the grass has been
burned, corn and cotton comes up and grows off
better than where it has not been burned.
l said was in favor of deep blowing. 1t
must be with the right sort of plow, which is
either your sub-soil or common coulter plO,c.
With these you may pillow as deep as you please,
which will add to the improvement and produc-
ton of your land In 1916, II think that was
the dry year, l broke up all my land with cO~l-
tcrS, as deep as could, and then plowed all my
corn and cotton with the same plows, still try
ing to go little deeper than the first. The re-
suit was, my land plowed mellow and moist all
the year, and l made plenty of corn, and some
to spare, for | sold several hundred bushels with
no more rain than my neighbors. l think the
Coulter pillow the best and cheapest pillow we
have among us.
Again, beg leave to differ somewhat with
the common received opinions of the day, in re-
gard to the last blowing of corn. AS above
said, do not believe in turning land over with
your turning plows; our summers are too long
and hot, and it is killing to land thus to throw
itup to the sun. But my experience has taught
me to pillow corn deep all the whichever when
laying it Notwithstanding it is said that in
breaking the roots, &C.. you injure it. Now, l
will not attempt to explain the philosophy of it
further than to say, that by breaking off the old
roots, and stirring up the ground, you put new
life and vigor in the whole stalk;as by trimming
and pruning an old tree, it assumes new
growth, and consequently new life. This may
- L. I
es us that this is true; and l would respectfully
ask why it is that the top ear on stalk of corn
is always the largest? and why is it you can
top corn long before you pull the fodder, with
out injuring the corn? There appears to be
some inconsistency in this, but observation
proves it to be so.
Last year, l had a field of 40 acres, second
year land, in corn. The rows were AZ feet a.
part, and the corn stood thick in the drill
say feet At the regular time for giving it the
last plowing the weather was dry, and the
ground stumpy and rooty. The corn looked
very fine indeed, and we thought, under the
circumstances, that we would give it a good
hoeing, and accordingly did so. The result was
that my corn was injured; and l now believe
that if had plowed it, it would have done bet,
ter, notwithstanding it made me over 200 bar
rels. My plan is to pillow late-until al
most in the roasting ear-while some contend
that when corn punches for the tassel, is the
time to lay it by.
A word about potatoes, and the mode of keep
ing them. 1t is an object with all farmers to
despatch business in safe, short and easy man
ner; and propose that in pnttng up potatoes,
those that are intended for seed, should be put
up in hills. My plan is this: simply level the
place where want to make the hill, and then
lay two rails dewn on the centre, about inches
apart; then lay a couple of thin pieces across
them, and putting on them two more rails, L
close up the top so as to prevent the potatoes
getting through and filling up the vacancy. l
then put my potatoes on the rails until get
the hill as large as wish, land the size is not
materially rounding them up. Then | COM
menee covering, by setting up corn stalks a.
round the hill; then Iput on vines followed with
dirt-say six or eight inches thick--being care
full not to stop the holes at each end of the rails
and also leaving small hole on the TOP, cover