The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-01-11
AGRICULTURAL.
Fall Flowing.

Having some twenty odd acres We in
tend planting to corn next spring, the
question comes up in practical way
What will the soil gain in the available
food of plants by plowing it this fall?
'On light sandy or gravely soils we doubt
the propriety of p!owing several moths
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 out of
the open ground, and the land impover-
ilshed rather than enriched by fall blowing
We have no doubt Of the fact that tllaSc
often operates greatly 10 the injury of the
soil, sometimes by dissoving the food of
plants prematurely. so that a part is lost
by the washing of the powed earth long
before 1t is planted or sown, and other
times the fine clay and sand un together
and become hard before spring, so that
the labor of fall plewing is lost. These
remarks are made to show that there are
two sides to the question of autumn plow-
ing for seeding in the spring. Soils which
are either very open, or very compact
from an excess of fine clay, gain little bv
stirring them long in advance of planting
Frost however, may, and often does,
operate to improve clay land BY rendering
it more frable, ifplowed in the fall or win
ter. This is particularly true of clavev
Iaams soils that do not run together like
potter's clay. Clay soils which are not
benefited oy fall blowing, nearly always
need understanding to increase their
porosity and friLility. BY throwing the
grownd into beds when powed, and open
ing deep wates furrow between each
land, much may be done to prevent the
soil from becoming very hard IN dry
weather, and mortar in wet weather.
Undoubtedly autumn till ge saves field
TABOR in the spring, when ons's teams nav
not be in the best possible condition for
service, while great deal Of work is suf-
fering to be done, III d we plenty of
good teams and laborrer', we shoule rare
~ plow any field more than four weeks be-
tore ID was to besown or planted.
So soon as tillage develops the elements
OF fertility, ard rains fall to dissolve them
onr notice 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. Wav
and others, showing the Fetentive power
of soils in preventing tls loss of manures
applied to land in n state of solution: we
are not, however, satisfied that expecta-
tions in that matter are to be fully real
ized by farmers. Mr.. Mqchi says that his
liquid manure, after passing through sew
eral feet of soil, still contains both organic
end inorganic matter; and we know that
5nall good land, rain water that comes out
m springs and wells is not pure, but
abounds in both vegetable and mineral
salts di'solyod out Of the ground. TilIage
increases the solubilty and solution of
these substances, which are the food of
plants, and hence tillage at the time of
planting and afterwards augment, the
feeding aetl2rowth ofcrops.
Having decided to pow field in the
fall weshonld not hesitate tobreak up the
subsoil a title deeper than it was ever be-
fore exposed to the light, heat, frost and
atmospheric gases above ground These
are powerful chemical agencies, and
admirably adapted to deepen and improve
a soil IL one can turn under n good coat
OF grss. weeds mould, or manure, so mach
the better for the land Break the ground
Iiine that is,cut narrow fanows AS we'll as
daep ones, that the tilage may be perfect
Genesee Farmer,