The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-21
AGRICULTURAL SELECTIONS.
Pyowin- Deep and shallow.

fIOWinS Dcep anu
Mr.. EDrroRs:-I have thought that would
give you some of my observations and expert
ences in farming matters, as L have always
lived upon farm, and had the management of
one since was fifteen years old, or for thirty
five years. During that time l have been a
constant reader of agricultural papers, and
other works upon the same subject: believe
that have been a subscriber to The Cultivator
from its commencement until the establish
ment of your valuable weekly, the Country
Gentlemen, since which time have taken that,
and have derived hundreds Of dollars from
its information and suggestions to aid my own
experience But there is much that l cannot
follow, advocated in those papers, for any
practical farmermust see that no plan of farm
ing can be written to suit all parts of this State
alone, much more this nation. think far
mer should not only be an experimental, and
an observer. but should cultivate the same in
his children, and those in his employ. NY
mode to make my boys think, is to call atten-
ton to facts. and ask their opinions, and to
compare opinions together. For example, to
observe at time Of harvest the different pro-
duced upon the crops by deep and shallow
Observation-Disclosures Of soil, dc, and ask where
is the cause?
Ny farm has much side hill. Sometimes
pillow up and down the hill, sometimes other
wise, and before we used the wheel under the
piow- beam, there would be much difference
in the depth of the burrows that were made
going up and down. the deepest being those
that were plowed going down. The lands
were wide enough GO to 70 f.. to divide the
field in observable strips alternately plowed at
different depths, and at harvest we almost al
ways observed that there would be marked
differences in the looks and stand of the grain
upon these strips, where soil and all were
alike, save the depth it had been plowed.-
Tho best wheat, oats and corn, were nearly
always found where the land was plowed
shaliopest
This is at variance with the principles laid
down and advocated in all agricultural jour
mails, and the man who writes for them must
always say-''plow deep, plow deep--the
deeper the better.
Now, Messrs. Editors. as practical farmer,
and an admirer of good farming. l will express
my opinion, and allow me to differ from this
wholesale notion of Arrays blowing deep. l
base this different conclusion upon multitudes
of facts and "facts are stubborn things
have seen twenty bushels Of shelled corn
more.s raised on an acre plowed four inches
deep, than on on adjoining acre plowed seven
or eight deep. This was in the same field,
the soil precisely alike, coarse sandy gravel
with many small stones; and had been titled
alike for 90 or 80 years, it was plowed the
same week, the corn of the same kind, planted
the same time and the after cultivation the
same. the only difference being in the depth
of the previous blowing. The corn was
planted in rows about three and one half feet
each way, and was plowed twice. and slightly
hoed after the first blowing The first plow
ing from the hills. two burrows between the
rows; the second blowing TO the hills, plowed
rs deep as possible, using two horses. driven
one ahead of the other.
Another case. In 1921, Mr.. H, the man
who TILED the above piece. came to live with
me. | was blowing for in the spring,
and had one half of the field plowed over six
inches deep. He told me it was 'too deep for
orr" and as he was old man and boy,
l listened to his advice. He plowed the re-
mainder of the field three to three and half
inches deep. The corn was planted 81 feet
each way, narrowed twice after it was up; we
could not pillow it until it was quite large, the
sod was so stiff and not rotted. We then
plowed it twice from the hill. very deep, hoed
it, aud then plowed it twice to the hills. very
deep. The first blowing with an old fashion
ed ''bull plow," with the mould board taken
off; the second and third time with cast iron
plow The soil was all alike-a sandy loam
with limestone in some places. 1t was a stiff
timothy sod. and had been moved two years
The treatment of the whole field was the same
but during the summer. which was dry one.
that which grew on the ground deepest plow-
ed was poorest, looked yellow and sickly, and
yielded from 12 to Is bushels of shelled corn
less per acre than that part plowed but half
the depth. The average yield of the best
half of the field was about 65 bushels of
sheled corn per acre. This. was in Duchess
county in this State.
Since that time, "a years. / have plowed
my corn ground shallow, sometimes but
three inches deep save strips through the
field. for experiment.. and have always found
the same results. l commonly plant clover
sod. / cover it with unfermented stable ma
nure, plow it under-plant 81 feet each way
use the cultivator when the corn is small
pillow once to the hill. deep. sometimes hoe
but not always if there are no weeds. and
count an average yield of so bushels shelled
corn TO the acre, oftener more than less.
Those Of my neighbors who plow shallow
before planting. and treat l do. get larger
crops than those who plow very deep shall
have more to say upon this subject
HENRY BREWER.
Enfield, n Y.
The writer of the above is an intelligent.
observing and successful farmer-one whose
statement of facts may be relied upon. He
shows what we have often endeavored to i'm
press upon our readers, that the farmer should
not blindly adopt all the practices he sees
recommended in agricultural journals, but
that he should in every instance be an accu-
rate eSperimenter. and carefully test all the
different modes of culture recommended
which commend themselves to his Judgment.
and adopt such as he finds best adapted to his
farm and Country Gent
Culture of Indian Corn.
TO OBTAIN THE LARGEST YIELD.
A correspondent of the n. Y. Tribune asks
how to grow one hundred bushels of corn 10