The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1866-05-12
Agricultural Department
WHY do We PlOugh?

Did any OF our readers ever ask this
question of himself, and try TO answer
it? We apprehend not. Some several
millions in the United States are in the
daily habit of doing the very necessary
work, but they, who have asked or can
tell why, may be counted by tens. We
belong TO this little minority. We have
often wondered to ourselves, and sought
diligently to discover, all the reasons
why we plough. Our success in elicit
ing satisfactory answers. has been very
gratifying. Some of these we respect
fully offer to the consideration of our
readers. /. We are most commonly told
that We plough to stir the soil. Well,
why stir the soil? Well, we are told, so
that the crop viii grow. This is about
the substance and the words of most of
our answers. Not very lucid, it is true.
yet the germ of the philosophy ofplough-
ing is there. We do plough to stir the
ground that crops may grow. All soils
adapted to the growth of farm products
contain the natural food of such plants
this food the plants will naturally seek
through numberless small rootlets. But
it is the natural tendency of All soils, and
especially of clay, to stiffen and grow
hard, from lying undisturbed under the
influence of burning sun and beating
rain. Hence, in little while, the little
rootlets, which are the plant feeders,
could not penetrate the hardened soil,
were it not for the pulverization of the
soil by the plough.
2. Again, the plough not only helps
the plant to collect what food is near
and ready made, but manufactures more,
by opening the way for those great fer
filters, air and water. BY disintegra-
ting the soil, every particle is made use
full, and brought into action. While it
is hard and stiff, it is impenetrable by
air or water, and whatever stores of
plant food it may contain, are hermetical-
ly sealed. But let once the bright
plough share CLEAN through it, and all of
its wealth is poured out and the hungry
plants suck it up, and transmute it as by
magic into the gorgeous leaf, the lovely
bloom and luscious fruit.
8. And yet again, we plough to kill
the weeds, to keep down the grass
What is food for the plants, is food also
for the weeds, and if left uncared for,
one ploughing were almost worse than
none. But if kept up, in this, as in/oth-
er ways, the plough is blessing.
4. In the fall and winter also, we
plough to kill the rootslof weeds and
grass, and the eggs of Insects, by expos
ing them to the Egours of winter. So
too, we open the soil to the disintegra-
ton power ftbe frost and snow of WIN
ter, ana md in the spring, when seed
time comes, light and mellow soil, free
of weeds and insects, all from fall plough
ing.
5. But on land so old as much that is
now in cultivation, the plough has ano-
Their use, scarcely less important, which
is in incorporating manure with the soil
and assimliated to the wants of the
plant.
So much for the popular, and what
would commonly be called, the practical
reasons why we plough. There are 9th
er reasons, in our Judgment quite as
practical yet as they cannot be explain
cd without the use of few chemical
terms, we viii call them scientific
Though they are no more entitled SO to
be called in strict parlance, than those
that we have given. Of these, We give
only two this morning.
l. Ammonia and carbonic acid are es-
scntial elements to the growth of plants.
These gases are constituent parts also Of
the air. 1t is property ofporous bod
les to attract these gases, and other
things being equal, this power Of attrac-
ton is in proportion to the amount of
surface exposed to the air. That is to
say, the more soil is pulverized and
permeable to the air, the greater will be
its power of attraction.
Cd. Again, it is established that almost
every soil contains matters that has what
is termed chemical affinity for ammo
nia-that is, naturally attracts and alb
serbs it. This is especially true of clay
of almost every kind, and still more es-
pecially of limestone clay. AS the soil is
stirred, and these substances modified,
its capacity for absorbing ANN onia is de-
veloped. The supply of plant food, is
increased, the plant flourishes, and in
turn draws fresh supplies from the air,
through its lungs, which are its leaves.
1t may thus be readily seen how a well
ploughed field will drain its neighbor that
is but lily tended, Of much of its health
and strength. In view of these conside-
rations, therefore, we commend to our
farmers the laconic and wise advice of
one who was successful beyond his day
as a farmer. When asked for the secret
of his uniformly fine crops, he replied,
"PRAY TO GoD, AND KEEP THE PLouGHs
AGoING." ..-.....
Best and Cheapest Method of Ma
n