Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-11-18
farmer' department.
From the Cotton Planter and Soil.
BENEFITS OF WINTER FLOWING

ries of articles by Mr.. w. G. Tally, running
through the May, June and July numbers
of the Cotton Planter, in which he attempts
to prove that nothing durable can be obtain
ed from the prastice of winter ploWing, or
winter cultivation. With all imaginable
Difference to Mr.. T. and his opinions, We
propose to labor in refutation of some OF the
charges he has preferred against this, to u.s.
seemingly useful practice.
Mr.. T. pronounces it an absurdlty, and
charges it with impoverishing our lands, de-
stroying our teams, etc But let him speak
for himself By winter plowing "the soil
is rendered uufertile, and turned to cold and
clammy mud, the vegetating essence sunk
BY cold and chilling rains, or orisped with
blasting winds, hands and bodies chilled,
feet soaked with cold mud and water, the
result of which is death to thousands. -
Why he must have supposed our winters one
cold black, continuous night, interspersed
with naug ht save "chilling rains and
ublastinc winds" He would have US be-
leve that We must plow in the mud and
cold, if we plow at all in winter. 1t is true
that winter is the disagreeablc season with
farmers, but not unfrequently, we have weeks
and weeks of fine sunny days, with pleasant
braciug atmosphere, in which We could plow
or prosecute any other work, with as little
chance of killing our lands, our teams, and
ourselves, as during any part of March, the
the time he says We should commence ploW-
ing. We are no advocate of the practice
of blowing lands when too wet, at any sea-
son, but consider it less injurious in winter
than in summer as 8. freeze would prevent,
to considerable extent, the baking which
is almost sure to follow.
With those whorest their lands as means
of reclaimipg them, winter or fall plowlng
cannot we'll be dispensed with. For 1t would
be poorly worth while to rest it, we're we
to gather up the grass and weeds and burn
them previous to bedding up, and in case
they grew exubeiantly this would have to
be done if postponed till spring There Is
not within our knowledge any process BY
which weed or stubble lands can be so we'll
prepared as by winter plowing. Every ex-
perienced famer knows that land with a
heavy crop of weeds, grass or stubole, can
not be bedded properly at planting time with
out burning off the superabundant vegetable
mass. And even admit that we can get it
tolerably we'll bedded neither cotton or corn
comes up or grows of we'll on it. The pro-
per plan to be pursued with such lands is
not to wait until spring, but to give ita
good and thorugh winter or fall ploWing'
turning under ground the whole vegetable
mass, which will decay by time for planting
when We can prepare and plant TO our entire
satisfaction.
We have no hesitaucy in asserting that,
could we find it convenient to do so, our
lands generally, would be much benefited
by winter blowing. But our manure is to be
put out, and there is no better plan within
our knowledge, than to haul it to the field
in February, or sooner, opening deep fur
row, depusiting it therein, and Immediately
follow with a turn plow, running two fur
rows on each side, and thoroughly covering.
But Mr.. T. informs US that it is neither be-
ne6cial to plow our lands in winter, or dis
pose of our manure as have here recon-
mended He says, speaking of ploWlug IN
dead vegetable matter: L" As the earth be-
gins, in October, to conceive and ichale, all
the nuturalizing property is socn inhale dand
concepted from the hay through the roots OF
the grass, into the earth, and leaves the hay
without particle of nuturalizing element,
and if plowed into the soil it will prove a
nuisance, and will absorb all the nuriment
conceived and inhaled, and that would
give life and growth to the coming forth
of His appointed propagation, that would be
realizedi if the dead hay we're burned off,"
etc., etc. but we have quoted enough for
our purpose, ofthis sentence, though not all
of it. No one will contend that this dead
mass of weeds or grass are anything like SO
uourising to the soil as the same would be if
turned under in the green state; still, if
plowed in soon enough to decay before plant
ing time, they offer no obstacle to the plant
ing of our crops, while they undoubtedly do
much towards enriching and rendering the
soil porous and pulverizable. AS to depri-
wing the earth of that which they give it in
autumn, this is sheer hypothesis, for since
they soon decay, they become part and parcel
of the earth themselves, and therefore they
cannot do our lands any harm by being plow-
cd in.
To carry out his process Of reasoning he
chalks out plan for putting out manure,
by which winter blowing is entirely dispen.
ed with. He advises US to spread our man.
ure on the surface of our land, and allow it
to remain there all winter and until spring
be fully set in. Upon this subject he says:
" Farmers need no longer contend that man
ure spread on the surface will evaporate or
exhalc during winter, as no law of nature,
undisturbed or violated, will sustain the doc
trine." By this assertion he has exhibited
a lamentable want of knowledge, both as to
what constitutes manure, and of natures
laws. In the preparation of manure, it is our
aim to retain in them their gaseous and vol
atle elements, by protecting them from the
weather, which is no little trouble, and in
fact would be work thrown away, were we
to leave it scattered on the surface of our
lands for a whole winter. Carbonic acid and