Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-12-10
Benefits of Autumn Plnwine.

The tillsge and drainage of the soil are very
closely related to each other. So indeed, as
We said last week, are the tilless and nanur-
ing the soil. And these, not merely as cause
and effect are related-though drainage does
enable tllsge, and tillage does alter compost
tion-but as being operations of the same class
and kind. And thus Mr.. Bailey Denton,
though engaged in a lecture upon land drain.
age last Monday, could not help referring to
the steam plow-as the great tillage i'm Pile
ment of the future. And we had from him,
too, the striking fact bearing on the compost
o0n OF fertile soil, that in state of perfec
Glth one-quarter of its bulk is air.
Mr.. Smith, Of Lois-W eedon, says that in all
clay soils containing the mineral elements of
grain, perfect tilth dispenses with the need of
manuring; and there cannot be doubt that
a deep and thorough tillage enables soil to
draw Immensely on the stores of vegetable food
contained in air and rain.
Messrs. Hardy again say that perfect tiltb
dispenses with the need Of drainage, and there
can be but little doubt that deep and thorough
tillsge facilitates the operation Of whatever
drainage may exist, whether it be natural or
artificial.
In both these cases the useful lesson is well
taught, that it is true economy rather to put
the cheap and copious storehouse of Natures
agencies to its full use, than by laborious and
costly artificial means to initiate extensively
their operation.
Such lesson applies, indeed, beyond the
advantages Of tillage to the methods by which
ullage IS to be obtained. Among the earliest
suggestions of cultivation by steam power was
that OF reducing by its means the soil to tilth
at once. The land was to be torn down as the
deal Is torn down at the saw-mill; though be-
fore the machine il may have been as hard
and hrm as wood, behind the tool as it adysnc
ed at work it was to lie as light and fine as
sa"dust, But it has at length been found
that II Is better because cheaper, and more
perfect, too, to leave this last refinement Of
the tillage process to the weather, which does
1t without cost. The land is now torn
smashed up-or moved and thrown about by
ploW or grubber in great clods and Jumps
This is best done in dry autumn weather, and
thus IL lies till spring. Certainly no climate
Is better adapted for cheap tillage thar the
English-the rains and frosts Of winter follow
ing dry September and October must pene-
trate and thrust asunder the clung and har-
dened masses OF the soil. No tive particles
shall remain sdhering to each other, If you
only give room and opportunity to the cheap
est and most natural disintegrator in the world.
No rssp, or saw, or mill reduce the ipdurated
land to soft and wholesome tilth 30 perfectly
as winters frost. And all that you need to
attain its perfect operation is, first to provide
an outlet for the water when it comes-by an
etheient drainage Of the subsoil, and then to
move the land while dry and break il up into
clods aAd fragments no matter how large they
be, and leave them for alternate rain and
drouth and frost snd thsw to do their utmost.
London Agricultural Gazette.