The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-08-16
Ffom the Working Farmer.
SCARIFYING THE SOIL.

Every larmer IS aware that the Ire
qaent string Of the soil is of mat erial
benefit to crops for however deep may
have been the original disturbance Of
the soil, or however great the quantity
Of fertilizing material used, still the
falling of dews aud rains will rear.
range and compact its immediate SUR
face, so as to admit less amount Of air
than if entirely free and broken.
This is clearly proved by the fact.
that during the severest drought corn
or root crops may be preserved by
the frequent stirring of the immediate
surface. The dews penetrate such dis.
turbed surface readily, and pass down
sufficiently deep not to be dissipated
by the next mornings sun, while The
large amount of air passing into the
disturbed soil, deposits, its quota oI
moisture on the colder PARTICLES below,
and thus insuring a sufficient amount,
both for the supply Of the crop, and the
solution OF the necessary materials as
its food. 1t is for this reason, among
others. that induces farmers to con-
tinually disturb the suriace-soil.
UntiIayery late date this has always
been done by small plows and horrows,
but more recently, varieties of tools
have been invented for this special
purpose, and we now have cultivators
and harrows, so constructed, that we
may by horse power cultivate the spa
ccs between one or more rows alta time,
varying in distance from ten inches to
four feet.
The market gardener has greater use
for this surface disturbance than the
farmer; for he uses manures more iree-
ly, and to have maximum crops he
must not only keep the surface Of the
ground between the rows of plants en-
tirely free from weeds, but to insure the
proper decomposition, and the appro-
piation Of the full amount of amends
ments used, he must admit into his
soil maximum quantity of atmosphe.
ric air, and secure himself against
drought.
Harrows, hoes, and cultivators, are
now much used i'm the cultivation ol
corn. Indeed, the cost of raising this
crop has been materially lessened by
their use, and instead of abrading the
early formed roots, and calling on the
plants TO form new ones, the plan now
is to raise our corn and root crops in
deeply disintegratedsoil, letting the af.
ter cultivation entirely consist in the
disturbance of the surface by the use
OF single horse and hoe, and an APP
propriate tool.
The hand hoe is fast going out ol
use. Flat cultivation for potatoes and
corn, and the frequent disturbance Of
the surface-soil between root crops,
have rendered the surface disturbing
tools almost as important as the plows
themselves; and the harrow, which
should never be used for the purpose
Of breaking soil, but simply for thu re-
moval Of such things as could be comb
ed Oft the surface. is rapidly giving
place to the cultivator. The tooth ol
the former has its point downward,
and hence its frequent travel upon the
soils surface tends to compactit, while
that of the cultivator, having the lower
end Of the tooth the largest, has all its
action upward and outward, and ma
terially tends to tighten the soil, while
it renders it pulverulent.
Where even surface tilth is requir-
ed before planting, as in machine plant
ed crops, the combined use OF the roll
Ter and cultivator, has taken the place
Of the harrow w'and the hand rake. In
deed. 4 few Years have tended mates :