The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1859-07-02
From the Prairie farner.1 40
FAN and Spring Pio wing and Early Plant.

petiSsS thas idii PtoUlup IL uC1eoA io1 Shc
different kinds of small grain than spring
blowing: but some think that spring
plowing is the best for corn. One writ
er says, plow as late as possible so as to
plant between the 18th and 20th of May;
he says turn the weeds under after they
have started, aud they will give but lit
tie trouble while the corn is snail Ten
years ago, that was the best method
known about here, with the addition of
pasturing stubble land after harvest and
burning the stubble, weeds and seeds, as
soon as dry enough after frosts for ex-
terminating weeds The writer above
alluded to says he tried fall blowing once
for corn, and then the weeds before
planting time got such start that he
had to plow again, thereby turning the
weed seed to the surface ready to grow,
and the stubble to the surface If he
plowed deep the first time, the better
plan would have been to harrow we'll in
stead Of the second blowing.
Now. from the above testimony against
fall blowing for corn, l could hardl y con-
demn the practice, if l had not tried it
thoroughly myself, or seen it tried by
others, without being told whether he
plowed early or late, whether the ground
was clean or weedy, whether he plowcd
his ground in time TO prevent the grow
ing weeds from maturing seed, aud the
old seed to grow and be killed by the
trosts, or whether or not he turned un-
der full crop of weeds with their seeds
ripe, too late 10 start to grow and be
killed BY frosts In the fall. All blowing
done between harvest time and winter is
called fall plowing. Late blowing in the
spring to kill weeds would do well if all
Of the weed came mp In the spring like
corn or wheat, but it is known that one
crop Of weeds will seed the ground for
years. There was once planted in my
garden lot of weed seed for flowers,
called by some stamp weed; when going
to mill, about four miles off, ! saw the
same kind of stamp weed growing in Il
garden and fence corners rather too
thickly to suit my fancy SO went home
and pulled all that was in my garden, and
threw it over the fence on tough, unbro-
ken prairie; the seed was nearly ripe
three years after | fenced and broke that
piece of prairie, and to my surprise, there
came up bountiful crop Of stamp weed,
and 1t continued to come up every year
for FIVE years, more or less, although eve
ry stalk of it, every gear before forming
seed, was pulled up. Other kinds of
weeds will do the same but if the ground
is plowed immediately after harvest, be
fore the weed seed gets ripe, large part
Of the old seed will come up and be kill.
cd by the frosts Fit should be plowcd
SO carly that there Is danger If the sec
ond crop ripcning s1ed, q good harrow
ing when they are an ircA or - high,
would FIX them out, and make others
come up to be killed BY frost.
Every one is Left to Judge for himself,
which is best for oxtcrminatiDg weeds,
the above plan Of fall plowing, or plowing
under in the spring full crop Of weeds
with ripe seeds, and only few started to
grow Each Of the above plans is fol-
lowed, more or less closely, On adjoining
farms, in every direction from here
| Where the fall plowingis mostly done the
crops are the best, and the weeds are on
the decrease; where the spring plowing
is mostly done, the weeds ara fcarfulIy
on the increase; spring plowing is more
cloddy than fall p|ownz; does not stand
drouth as well, unless ii has been drench-
ed with heavy rains and settled, There
is more of a rush of work in the spring
than fall, and teams are not generally in
as good condition for work The ground
is often too wet to plow in the spring
and where We SOW no fell crops, if we had
all Of our corn ground to plow in the
| spring, In some Of our wet seasons, we
could not get our corn planted at all it
is well known, that the crop on land
plowed up aud exposed to the sun, at
mosphere, rain, snow and frosts, one year,
! is greatly increased Is there any rea-
son, that land so treated shorter length
! of time, should not be equally benefited
in proportion to the time it was 80 expos
ed? The sterile clay of wells and cellars,
after being exposed to the action of the
elements for few years, becomes cover
ed with luxuriant growth of yegeta.
ton.
On fall plowine, the stubblo rots out
of the way, thereby forming coat OF
manure for the following crop. But you
may ask what you shall do, if you can
not get all Of your ground plowcd before
the weed seed are ripey | would say
plow them under in time to sprout OF
grow, SO as to be killed by frosts, but il
you cannot plow in time for them &c
sprou,, plow in the fall whether late OF
early-deep and well Corn land, where
the crop was cut up, | would plow
whether for wheat or corn, in the fall
ii the corn is not cut, for crop Of small
grain, if the ground is tolerably new ant
clean, would not plow in the spring, bu
go twice in a row with a cul.ivator afte,
sowing, and then harrow again if 70,
corn, aud the crop not cut, of course
would plow in the spring.
EARLY PLANTING. Il consider corr
planted early that is planted between th'
10Th of April and 10th Of May. | hav,
not seen a year in Iowa since | have liv
ed here (oyer eleven yesrs) but that seec
corn properly saved and planted, on fal
, blowing, in April, would have all com
up, aud have made better crop than i
| planted later | have seen more or les
corn planted nearly every year in April
, and one year some in March. Yet,
have no. known any good seed plante
Q on ground that the water would not stan
. after a rain, or, that was no. planted yer
6 deep, to rot, whether planted early Q
/. late. | have seen corn lie in the grour
j. for month after planting, with rair
: snow and hard frosts, yet it came u
!. well. | have seen corn cut down TO tn
crrnund hx frnst altar Il uas Sa..aE