Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-11-19
Fall Flowing.

Having some twenty odd acres we intend plant
ing corn next spring, the question comes up IN
practical way, what will the soil gam in the await
able food of plants by blowing ii this fall? On
light sandy or gravelly soils we doubt the proprl-
ETY. of blowing several months before the seed Is
committed to the earth, because we fear that the
elements of both organic and inorganic matter
rendered soluble by tillage may be washed ont OF
the open ground, and the land impoverished rather
than enriched BY fall blowing. We have no doubt
of tile fact that tilage often operates greatly 10
the injury of the soil, sometimes by dssOlying The
food of plants prematurely, 50 that part is lost
by the washing of the plowed earth long before it
is planted or sown and other times the fine clay
and sand run together and become hard before
spring, so that the labor of fall blowing is lost.
These remarks are made to show that there are
two sides to the question Of autumn blowing for
seeding in the spring Soils which are either very
open, or very compact from an excess of fine clay,
gain little by stirring them long in advance Of
planting. Frost, however, may and often does,
operate TO improve clay land by rendering it more
irable, if plowed in the fall OF winter. This is
particularly true of clayey loans, soils that do
not run together like potter's clay. Clay soils
which not benefited by fall blowing, nearly
always need undertaking to increase their pOr-
osity and friability. By throwing the ground into
beds when plowed, and opening deep water fur
row between each land, much may be done 10
prevent the soil from becoming very hard in dry
weather, and mortar in wei. Undoubtedly au-
tumn liage saves field labor in the spring, when
ones team may not be 10 the best condition for
service, while great deal of work is suffering TO
be done. Had we plenty Of good teams and lab
orers, we should rarely plow any field more than
four weeks before II was TO be sown or planted.
so soon as Village developes the elements of
fertility, and rains fall to dissolve them, our
notion is, that the seed should be in the ground to
grow and consume the raw material of the CROP
We are well aware of the recent researches Of
Prof. Way and others, showing the retentive pow
er of soils in preventing the loss of mannres APP
piled 10 land in a state of solution; we are not,
however, satisfied that expectations in that mat.
ter are 10 be fully realized by farmers. Mr.. Me-
CHI says that his liquid manure, after passing
through several feet of soil, still contains both or
ganlc and inorganic matter; and we know that in
all good land, raln-water that comes out in springs
and wells Is not pure, but abounds in both vege-
table and mineral salts dissolved out of the ground
IIllage Increases the solubillty and solution of
these substances, which are the food of plants ;
and hence tillage at the time of planting and after
wards augments the feeding and growth Of crops.
Having decided to pIow field in the fall we
should not hesitate to break up the subsoil little
deeper than it was ever before exposed to the
light, heat, frost, and atmospheric gases above
ground. These are powerful chemical agencies,
and admirably adapted to deepen and improve
soil. II one can turn under good coat of grass,
weeds, mold, or manure, so much the better for
the land Break the ground .fine-lhat is, cut
narrow burrows, well as deep ones, that the
tllage may be perfect Genesee Farmer.