Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-18

tf-la tlg - : q flsE'tFt
pLOWS AND Pl0@iNG.

present Sc however, bears but slight resemblance
to the plew of our 5refathers. The ingenuity of
the hu bandmani is constantly ado ing Improvements
to this Indispensable implement OF agriculture. and
we have no reason for supposng that it has yet
attained TO perfection
The purposes, for which the ?iow is used, are
generally UNDERSTOOD and yet perhape there is no
implement in common use among agricultursts,
which so frequently fails to accomplish the object for
which it is designed; because, while it is the most
essential of all instruments to good culture, it is
general thing, of all instrument most careless
| ly handled. " tAs
The uses of the pillow may be comprehended I'M
der two general heads; first to break the soil; sec
ond, to destroy noxious vegetation.
To accomplish the first of these purposes, there
are two descriptions of plows; first those intended
for surface blowing: and second, those designed 10
break the sub-soil. Surface and subsoil blowing
entirely different purposes. The object of sur
face blowing is TO pulverize the soil, in order that
the roots of the crop may find ready access to the
elements of nutrition which are diused throughout
the earth, and also, that the air and moisture may
easily penetrate the soil with their supplies of food
for the roots. The advantages of thorough pull
verzation of the surface soil are very great, and
may be readily perceived by contrasting the pro-
ductveness of square of the garden, cultivated in
corn, with large field of equal fertility. The a.
bundant yield OF the garden is not altogether, nor
even principally attributable to richness of the SOIL
The perfect filth to which it is reduced by deep
and close and constant culture has as much to do
with its productiyeness as the heavy dr. ssngs of
manure which are applied to it. Theory complete
ly corroboraes and beautifully explains these facts
which are the result of common observation. The
inorganic saline properties of the soil, in order
to promote the growth of plants must enter into
them through their roots, in state of solution and
to accomplish this, the soil must be thoroughly dis
nterated, that the rain water and the gases of the
atmosphere may be brought into intimate contact
with salts of the EARTH and that the roots of the
plants may without difficulty, take up the food
which has thus been prepared for them.--What
though the earth contain the elements of nutrition
in abundance for the production Of crops? if they
are locked up in an inpenetrable SOIL they avail
nothing to the husbandman. A great deal has
been said and written about the advantages of deep
! blowing, and we are not going to disparage its
Importance, as will be seen before we dismiss this
subjebt, but deep blowing is not the only desder-
alum in good culture; we must plow close as well
, as deep; and if we cand do but one we had better
pillow closely, to the depth which we undertake to
r break, than to pillow deeply without thoroughly
, puverizing the surface SOIL The advantages of
reducing the surface soil to fine tith, do not end
8 with those which we have enumerated Lands,
thus prepared, are warmer and, consequently they
, absorb water from the subsoi and moisture from
the atmosphere more readily, and therefore, stand
f drought better; they are more open and conse-
quently, give of excessive moisture more easily,
and therefore, suffer less from excessive wet There
may seem to be an inconsistency in these two lat
ter advantages which claimed for closely plow-
ed surface Soils but there really is none. 1t is mat
/ ter of common experience, that light soils dry mort
rapidly than those which are more compact; and it
f is fact, not less generally admitted that loose
soils stand drought with less damage to the grow
ing crop than stiff soils.Well plowed lands, more
over wear less rapidly than those which are cult
waited carelessly; because, the rains which fall upon
them, instead of running Otfan carrying with them
f not only the soil ITSELF but the rich gases which
they bring with them to the surface of the earth,
are absorbed into the mellow ground, and as they
filter through it deposit the nutritious clements
3 with which they are laden.
, We have thus very rapidly glanced at the prin:
cipal advantages which are TO be realized by q
thorough pulverization OF the surface soil. 1t is
evident that this operation must be done most sue
cessfuly before the crop is put in the ground. OF
course, this is of the chief uses of the plow in
the cultivation of the CROP but to ensure perfect
filth, the earth should be well broken in the pre-
paratiOn of the soil for the crop. In the small
e grain crops, the only opportunity for using the
pillow is before the seed are sown and yet how COM
mon practice is it to scatter the grain broadcast
upon the unbroken soil, and turn it under By n
4 single slovenly blowing. In the preparation Of
land for planting corn also, where it is to follow
cotton especially, it is the general customs merely
to st the soil and leave the bnlks untouched until
the first working ofthe crop. Ifthere is any truth
in the positions which have been assumed in this
. article of course this practice is short sighted
one. Why not put in the fewer acres, prepare
# them thoroughly, make more corn by it, and
with less work and less injury to the soil Every
: days work spent in the preparation of field for
cropis worth two spent in its cultivation. IN
fact the principal culture of crop may he said to
be before the seed are put in the ground.
The best pillow in common use for good surface
blowing, is the narrow square pointed scooter.
The mould board pow--and the same may be said
of all turning plows--was never designed for work
of this description. 1t is surface pillow, however
and we will hereafter speak of its use but, for
thorough pulverization of the SOIL it is greatly in
ferior to the straight square pointed scooter There
is less chance for imposition in the use of the scoot
of this description than any other pillow in gener
, al use. 1t breaks the earth without turning IT,
and, consequently it does no more than it seems
to do upon the surface. 1t is a comparatively slow
operation however and is for that reason frequent
/, ly substituted by the turn pillow, but never, for
this purpose without sacrificing the preparation of
the soil and its consequent productveness
, WHY DON'T THE LADIES LEARN TO COOK
Among the common things to the teaching of
, which public opinion is now so strongly directed,
it is to be hoped that the art of cOokeryone of the
commonest and yet apparently one of the most diff
fcult and neglected of all-will not be forgotten.
, ba IF fbo famalo paoeoptr,