The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-09-11
Deep Tillage VS.. Drought.

days. "Grass, barley, oats, potatoes and
corn, are suffering much for tho want of
RAIN" 1t is too true they are Suffering
much" especially late sown barley and oats.
Unless we have rain, the straw will be short
and the product meagre one. But it is
useless to talk of this; we would rather Of
fer some hints on the best means of esca-
ping the effects Of these "dry spells"-,hese
weeks and months when li,ile or no rain
falls upon the parchod and thirsty earth 1t
is not new subject with us-but lis i'm.
portance will excuse repeated reference.
line upon limo and p'4cept upon precept"
One OF the most etsectual preventves OF
the effects of dry weather upon the crop. is
fresh and mellow state of the soil in which
they are growing. To attain this perfectly,
there is but one way-frequent stirring and
cuItvation-but 1t can be greatly promoted
10y proper preparation OF the ground be
fore The crop is sown or planted upon it. If
land Is deeply ploughed and thoroughly
puvcrzed, and ut the same time prepared.
either by the nature of the subsoil or under
draining. for the ready passing off OF all
surplus water, it will remain for long time
IN moist and mellow state But shallow
ploughed land, or that with a retentive sub
soil at a short distance below the surface. is
always found to become comparatively s,er-
lie under the influence OF dry weather. A
heavy rain falls, completely saturatinc the
mellow portion OF the surface soil, making
1t too wet for the favorable growth Of plants
at first, but the surplus water has no Quite,
through underdrains or n porous subsoil; it
must pass away by evaporation, and the
surface becomes baked and hard under the
process. Whereas, had the soil been deep
and mellow larger portion of moisture
would have been retained; the surplus would
have readily passed off, and the earth have
been left in the condition most favorable TO
rapid vegetation.
The effects Of deep and shallow tiaec
upon the moisture of the soil is readily OBJ
servabIc by every farmer. We have had
occasion TO notice il since commencing this
article. Taking up the hoe as IN inteilude
TO the pen, we found in spots, where the
plough had but just skinned the surface.
that the soil was baked and dry at leas,
SIX inches deep, (as far as we dug among
the stones,) while not three feet distant,
where well ploughed, at two inches deep, il
was most and fresh. Passing through the
corn field we found the hills near stone
heaps or stumps were wilted and almost
burned up by the heat, while those on the
open and we'll pIoughed space around were
fresh and vigorous. The tineness of the
soil also has considerable influence; any.
thing like Jumps, however small, will not
retain moisture like that well pulyerizel
and deep. This may be frequently noticed on
head lands, where the soil is always in finer
ii.ih from the more Grequen: passage OF the
plough.
Some years since, in preparing piece of
ground Tor the crop, portion of it was
thoroughly subsoIlcd, SO that the whole
sod WAS stirred To the depth of eighteen in.
chcS. and made fine and mellow. Tie re
mainder had only the usual preparation,
and to this day slight Drought affects the
shallow part, while one long continued and
severe is scarcely felt BY the crops where it
WAS deeply TILED. In greater or less de.
gree this is found to be the case on all soils.
and proves conc!uSivc!y that sulsuiIing is
not for one ycar-ihat its effects will con
time for many years. Ii has been found.
We would remark, that pIoughing ten in
ehes IN depth, or even eight, upon porous
subsGI, would act very beneticiallv in PIE.
venting tho effects OF drought.
Iocd crops need not suffer so severely
from dry weather as spring grains and
grass must DO. The soil must Le kept clean
and mellow by frequent cultivation, which
all farmers and gardeners know is very
beneficial in this respect Ii is true thnt
the evaporation Of moisture Is creates, from
hight SOIL but il is also true that il receives
moisture more readily and largely from all
the sources which supply Il. There is little
or no dew up the beaten path, while the
pal! At It's side drips with wet The fresh
turned earth receives q much larger supply
than that upon which hard crust has
ioumcd-It penctratcs farther, ard hence
passes oil more slowly. OF light showers
this Is also true. Hence tho more mellow
the soil the less 1t suffers from lack of rain
when covered with growing plants
Deep and thorough tillage is the best
preventive of the effects Of drought, and the
best preparation for growing profitable
crops, whatever be tho character of the soil
or weather.-Ns0re'S Rurai Ec,p Yorker.
CRAZE NINEs.-Whcre grape vines have
been neglected, SO that the tops are quite
too high and the branches too numerous.
II Is necessary TO cut of large portion of
old and new wood together the more OF
the old, tie cMing only the new
shoots that spring from nearest the ground,
and suitably shortening these. 4 few new
shoots should bc allowed 70 grow from the
lower parts of tho vine each ear for boar
ing fruit The succeeding year; aud hy cut
ting away the wood which bore fruit the
preceding year. We have what is called the
renewal system Of treatment, which is found
to he the best, for American grapes, for
tFolI,s or wall culture.
GAEc or PEAR TREEs.-rho pear tree
will grow in almost any soil, provided the