Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-10-02
firm aud BOnstltOld.
Shall We PIOw In the FalIl

FEW questions nave Decn longer or
more ably discussed than the comparative
merits Of fall or spring plowing, alone or
In conjunction. That opinions OF expert
menters differ very widely on the subject
| is probably owing TO the fact that they
have conducted their investigations on
very dissimilar soils, and with view to
raising different crops That fall plowing
Injuries the fertility of land that is TO be
returned in the spring, we are unwilling
TO admit; and the arguments we have read
on that side of the question are probably
drawn from experiments Of shallow plow-
ing in the fall, which is followed by deep
plowing in the spring. If farmers have
the leisure TO plow their land twice, the
deeper blowing should precede the shall
lower, as the main object of bringing soil
| TO the surface is to expose it to the COM
bined action of the light and frost, and thus
10 prepare it to properly retain moisture
and the gases Merely skimming the soil
with the plow in the fall, when the land
may be in indifferent condition, and then
throwing up deep furrow Of soil that
never saw the light or felt the heat of the
suns rays, proves nothing in relation to
the benefit or injury of fall plowing.
All soils which are inclined to be clayey,
or otherwise stubborn, are very much anne
liorated by the process of weathering or
exposing to the action Of alternate freez-
ing and thawing. Jack Frost can do more
toward pulverizing and disintegrating
field of compact clay, during Sc
we're winter, than the most industrious la
borer can do with the aid of team and
farm implements during the summer. In
all potteries and in most brick manuflc-
tories, the clay is exposed to this winter
weathering, which is found to do more to
prepare the material for molding,
than the best crushing and mixing
machines can possibly do. In fact,
many of the best varieties of potter's clay
can only be pro6tably worked after
such exposure; and the perfection Of our
choicest wares owe their extreme beauty,
as we'll as their great strength. to this anne
liorating influence of freezing. Going
further back, we find that clay and sand
earths are the results which cold and
moisture have produced on feldspar and
silicious rocks. A further mixing and re-.
peated freezing will carry the operations
one step in advance, and we shall have a
most productive loan.
Some object to plowing land both in fall
and spring. for the reason that 1t leaves
the ground in too loose n condition to be
either retentive of moisture, or retentive
| vi Lllt TOOlS vi DldnlS. nose WHO use
this objection in their argument, probably
do not use a roller in their farming Plow.
ing is an aid to pulverizing the soil, but il
is only an aid To give it the requisite de
gree of porosity, and at the same time tc
| give it suitable compactness, pressure
must be applied to the loosened mass
The plow stirs and loosens; the roller pul
verizes and renders sufficiently compact
Most have noticed the fine condition o
the soil which comes from plowing up al
old highway, or common farm road, ol
even footpath. Instead of the soil be
ing heavy here, 1t is ordinarily in the bes
condition of any in the field
Apart from the advantage gained BY
weathering soils that are to be re
plowed in the spring, there is great econ
omy in plowing lands in the fall whicl
are not so treated. Some of the best corr
crops in this State the past season wer
produced on land plowed with the Mich
gan plow last fall, and only worked will
harrow or cultivator previous to putting
in q crop this spring. Such method q
treating sod lands for wheat, we have pre-
viously noticed, and there are few crop
that do not succeed well on land fal
plowed in this manner
The spring is always busy time witt
farmers who have as much land to prepar
for crops as we have on our Western
farms, and if we can have some of on
broad acres in state of preparation tn
season previous, we are Just so much il
advance Of the times
The air in the fall is usually cool an
hracing, and the team Injured to labor wi
do more work, with less fatigue, than /
the spring The ground too, particular
that which is low, is liable to be in bette
condition in respect tn moisture.
We believe it is advisable to p|ow a
the land we can in the fall, and have it /
good condition to form a seed bed then
it has become badly washed or is compac
II can be plowed again in the spring. Blu
in most kinds of land, and in the gres
majority of seasons, this plowing will no
be necessary, and the farmer, with half G
his farm ready for the harrow, will be abl
to get in his crop in advance of his neigh
bors, and not be under the necessity z
crowding his work, or over working hi
teams as is too often the case. Besid
these advantages, his crops will he ma
tured earlier in the fall, and he will hav
the benefit of the enlarged price whic
early crops usually bring, beside bsin
much more likely to escape the drought
of summer and the frosts of autumn
Prairie Farmer.