The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-03-03
agricultural.

FLowiNG.-The subject Of blowing is one
in which every farmer should be engaged, for
it is business that every f,rmer has to do
and yet we sec but small amount of good
blowing in proportion to that which is bad
and Indifferent. This is owing more to farm
or, using pIowS OF bad construction and
make, than to all other causes combilcd-
Hence farmers will tolerate bad blowing.
when they would "veto' at once bad NOW
ing, poor grading, and careless hocng in
their fields. Then again, good and improved
riows will cost double, and sometimes treble
at first cost, over the ordinary plow. This
fact stands in the way of many farmers, and
when they are told, as they are by some
teachers that on an ordinary farm of all
hrNdrc,l acres they must have from four to
six d;lic. cnt sized plows, they become dis
grst,d or dishcartcd at oncc.--Now we have
found that a good sward pow as could be
brought into the field was also good plow
for stulblc and mellow ground, and this too
after ten years faithful trial; at the same
time VIC used other plows, as the case re-
enir, I'd.
OF course there can be no objection to
farmers having as many different plows as
they have means to buy: but with many
farmers, one improved pillow is as much as
they can afford, and having other farming
tools to match-a fact by the way which
very few farmers as yet have arrived at
AS to the different modes Of blowing, there
are many different IDEAS among farmers;
some prefer the lap furrow; and the fiat Or
level land furrow others prefer. Both are
good enough if the work is well donc-that
is, if the burrows are turned down to cover
the grass, weeds and foul stuff We have
found the fiat or level land rurrow, after trial.
whore each flrrow is shut in after the other
the best, plan to prevent grass and weeds
growing at the edges Of The burrows that we
have yet seen adopted And SO VIC have
p1actistd the fiat or level land funows on all
sward lands.
The manner Of laying out lands for plow
ing is worthy of considerations; as is often
tho case when field has been plowcd one
way for years, large ridges viii be found at
the sides Of fences, while low swaics will be
left through the fields by dead burrows. iii
this case the blowing should be reversed so
that the soil may be brought back to It's oiigi-
nal place.-Wc have found that when thc
field was tolerably level, whether large Or
small that it was best to go round the field
at once, making bat one land, and of course
having but one dead furrow." IL thiS case
the better way would be to have some TWEEN
~ feet in width at the "hcad lands" and side
of the field to be plowcd last. These lands
can be plowed last, by going around the field
Of course, turning to right, or "gcc about"
until the field is finished 4 still better pIan
we think would be to commence in the mid
die Of the field; this could be easily found by
pacing and stalking. I.ere pillow and furrow,
say two rods in length, then turn back ano.h-
or furrow the same length. After you have
plowcd six or eight burrows in this way you
could commence blowing across the ends of
the lands. Flowing in this way you would
Of course turn your team to the right a .'gec
about" ard so OIL until the field was finish
cd. The particular advantage Of blowing III
this way is, that your. team is all the time
trcadns OH the swaid or unJlowcd land,
while blowing the other way Or 'haw about"
you are constantly driving your teams out
at the ends on to the plowtd land. If you
have "doublc team" as is often the case
in blowing heavy sward, then the plowcd
ground at the ends Of the land becomes tread
very hard, and the soil is made almost as
unfit for cultivation as though it had not
been pfowod at all.
Another advantage of the 'gcc about"
system Of blowing is, you can plow your
whole field, without leaving any middle Or
dead burrows, which is quite an object of con-
sidcration, especially in blowing swarl land
in blowing mellow lands the dad burrows
are not so much consequence, as they can
easily be drawn by the harrow in cross har-
row'nst. The same system Of blowing with
out Leaving dead burrows, can be done by
using the side hill pillow, by blowing forwards
and backwards until the field is finished,
leaving the hcadands 10 be plowcd last.
As to the depth of blowing, of course all
farmers must judge for themselves; but the
depth should be increased at each blowing,
or go down eight or ten inches at once as
you see fit. Sub-soilng of course should be
attended to, as all farmers Of the right stamp
know at present. Wenotice that new pat
terms ofplows are being brought out every
year. What the particular advantage of
these "hew patterns" are we cannot say now.
We think in many cases that too much |
"gearing" is attached to them for practical
use. A plow with clcvis or draft wheels is
enough for practical use.
IUunu Cultirai0r,