Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-07-20
8arat ana aotnestie.
Agric u1tura1.! .!77iF-
How -Desp should we Flow. aasqa


This depends, first upon the richness Of the
soil /; second, upon the depthstos which IL bsa
3 been previously pI6wed; third, upon the char.
''eter and quality ofthe sabsoA;l and fourth.
; upon the crop which is ttehe planted. ~
II the soil bn sufficiently rich. Il, best that
at least an inch of the sell beneath should be
r upturned to the atmosphere, at eachsuUcessive
fplowng, and exposed to the hctloti of the ele.
ulents. If the land had been what is called
'srun'' pretty hard, and the farmer has no man.
ure with which to restore the exhausted com
stituents of the soil. it can hardly be said to
be best to plow deeper than the previous ,cul-
turists Of the same field have done But, as
i5soou as suitable stiiDulants to vegetationq can
he applied. we. would advise the gradual4 deep
enieg Of the culture, until from nine to twelve
inches becomes the habitnal thickness oft the
overturned flrrow -al1atgI .aa11
daH The sbbaoh bs gravelly and light, 1thefe is
not so great q call for deop working as other
wise, nor is the use of subsoillplow' asRn1nch
demanded But soil, no matter ofyyvhat char
acter lying upon fat level suBsoil nofiIffard.
pan clay, needs to be made of a good depth,
either by upturning, or by gradual eicroaoh-
ment upon the underlaying clay. The eabson
plow should also follow the other pl6=jA jAand
thoroughly lotsoh the brick-like subst6dthm
upon which the furroW rests. ~ b ton
|. The deeper plow, the fIrther ixiownB we
| bury the seeds Of noxous weeds, MhichaAiaye
often gathered upon the surfaceg,ab ptos be
overturned. The more weiallow thehirstsbcir-
cuiate among the loosentd pArticleg-of thnasoil.
u i4e better Is the drainage in wetsSeasom4aaud
the more perfect thcrirrigationyin a. edsysdsum-
JI1eF ltas by, allowing ltks9 ainnEoi permAats
ffeely the texture of Inc soil we elho fbriru io-
10 contact Slihslts e0rstiseBtsir rthen nafhopic
acid in the aiF, tbs7alnmopia ,1f 1ftheatnosehere.
Ehd eleuIeatss vlacAothas sseilfueeds
10 HiilLlaln its Integrity andsubpertthecsops
we plant upon it,, This deeper plowinS rena-
bles The roots Sf4lse plants TO penetrate far
deeper, while the ioesening gives them advfder
range; and whether it be food or moisture
which rtey seek, they are far more certain to
be luHy supplied. In seasons ofexcessive taio.
the shallow plowed field, where the earth has
only been loosened to the depth of four or five
inches, IS easily saturated with water, causinR
the death, OF ut any rate, the very sickly,sap-
pearance OF The crop; while the deeply stirred
land has permitted the penetration of the fluids
TO the depth of many inches washing down
richness and nourishmQnt to the deepest roots,
and while oil the land has Il stliTiciency 1ofu1pis-
ture compelling upon none greater than q
proper amount Of wetness. Z .r- ,....gi1sea
Root crops require n,ore thorough ubturn-
ing Of the soil than the almost universally cul-
tivated Indian corn We think that the rnis-
ing of this purely American product has exert.
ed an injurious influence upon the agriculture
VI this country. Farmers can, by merely
the surface of their land (say, shot
more that five inches deep,) raise, under most
circumstances excellent crops Of maize, espe
cialiy upon uowly cleared soils. This ease Of
has led our agriculturists to slaeken
n the preparation Of the land for all other
'rops, until shallow piowing has,alrhost become
he rule instead of the exception. 3 In thelolder
country Of Europe, where land is more valna-
Die aud labor more plentiful than iiiourThewlY
ettled hemisphere, they have learned to i'm
'roTe every foot of the breadth of theirJlands,
md also more inches Of the depth thar1we dare
o mention. Cultivation is far deeper than
With us, and as consequence, crops ares both
urer and larger. Root crops are raised which
would challenge admiration at any of our State
Fairs and grain produced in quantities iInpre-
,cdented on any of our shallow -ploRedl and
,arelcssly cultivated fields. -i1a.rp zeA sH
.@ Let US. as speefiil y 50 possible emulate bur
European codsiBs, in tlleiteareful9 application
If nanures; in their use of every foot Of sur
ace, leaving none for weeds Or fence CORNERS;
md in their depth of culture--furnishings to
he growing crops land that drinks water Of
he rain Of Heaven. so that neither, more or
sss than they desire Of the soaking moisture.
the fruitful showers and the rain from Heav-
n shall be supplied to the absorbing rootlets
the growing crops.-Gen. Farme1. sET