Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-08-14
AGRICULTARAI.
EnItsoil l,In1xinr.
From the owatona (MinHo Register

Il
following to their consideration:
| The plow, which I am most ac-
quainted with Is the Bradley plow,
the soil to the depth of i've or more
inches, keeping the best soil to tile
depth OF four inches, near the sur.
face, thus admitting mir and moisture
20 the roots OF tile plants, and ena-
bling them To extend their sDougifoes
In search OF food; for air and moist.
ure and extent OF pasture are ma noe.
essary to the thriving and increase of
vegetables rs of animals. Tile growth
OF grain and veg ge.ables depends ma
terially upon tile ability of the tap
root To sink deeply into the soil tjf
| although they have other roots. still.
IL the tap root be not fairly establish.
ell and of full size and figure. the
plant cannot thrive, particularly dur
| ing seasons OF drouth. No farm iut-
| plement promises so well az this lift.
ing subsoil plow, It may bc passed
| deeply I'm the suhsoil, disintegratinr
all above it rs finely as u mole track.
and without elevating the subsoii on
top of the surface soil. Therefore
when its character is of a kind not
authorizing its elevation, IL may bc
disturbed In place without being
mixed with the upper soil. Thus the
field does not furnish simply n mass
OF soil above the surface of the water
tight subsull for the tap root To stn,,I
In, subject t0 the severe heat and
drouth but ID permits It's descent In
u a well disintegrated soil, which,
from Its depth aud cou scuuer,t lower
temperature viii be able continually
to condense moisture from the M.
mosphere circulating between Its par.
ticles, and the capillary attraction vf
the soil will elevate this moisture nc
least within the region OF the tap
root, IL not to many OF the side roots.
Ii any doubt this fact, let him take
the earth out of nm old post hole and
at any depth he likes lie will discover
1t to contain more moisture than the
same quantity of tho ADJOINING s1ii
which has never been uisinteuratcd.
III must DO remembered that when n
tap root, whatever may be its length,
rests IN II moist soil, the functions OF
the plant will continually ns.ist I'm
the elevation of the moisture. The
leaves may be viewed as the terg,iui
OF millions of infinitessimal tubes. and
the mir blowing past them. renders
each capable, on the principal of the
Hungarian pump, of elevntinp moist.
ure. Every waving of the plant
tends To produce this result. Tho
lower end OF n rattan placed In n basin
OF water, and the upper end coptIn-
ally vibratod In the atmosphere. vii,
exemplify this truth, for the water
will rise through the capillary tubes
OF This rattan aud will be throws, off nt
Its upper end. Can it be doubted.
then, that III atmosphere circulates m
well disintegrated soil, and that soil
Is at n temperature lower than tl,nt
Oh the atmosphere, that the coNdens-
tion will continually occur? The
very iact that pitcher of cold water
placed In a sunbeam will be covered
with drops OF water on the outside.
which are evidently condensed from
the atmosphere, proves this effect.
Durilg drouth, moisture IL not put
OUT or existence. LII IL does not exit
III the soil, IL must exist In the al-
!nospnere, anu IL the depth Of disin-
tegration Of the soil be sufficient. IL
IL rendered capable OF receiving any
moisture That the atmosphere may
happen to contain. We would fur
Asl
tho water condensed during times
when rains do not occur, has "a value
Tar greater titan the same measure OF
ram water. This may be thus under
sood: Ihe first pint of water which
runs from the roof ut the beginning
OF rain, will be found to con tain large
amounts or all those matters wdich
the surface OF nature has been ex Id-
nh n .I
ram ciense the atmosphere, aud In
the early part OF their fall, they be-
come distinctly foul In their odor.
During drouth, then, condensation
on colder surfaces ARE always fully
charged with these gasses. Eyeip
phosphoric and sulphuric acids are
detectable I'm moisture so collected
Fill large glass tube with poun,led
ice; put cork I'm its lower end, then
stand IL In mn upright position In ~
bowl or tumbler, aud expose 10 to ~
noon-day sun; the condensation OH
the outside of that tube, from the at-
mosphere. will be sufficiently rapid
TO run down into the tumbler, aud
this water will prove to he foul, aud,
relatively as u manurial agent OF
much greater value than the average
quality of rain water.
But the value of subsoiling Is not
confined TO seasons of drouth. A
proper disintegration OF the son
renders 1t loose and porus, and en-
ables the surplus water To pass off
below the roots of the grain, which
saves 10 from 'drownlng cut, /" rs Wa
term 10.
While travelling through Northern
iowa last year we noticed very fine
piece OF wheat on what appeared to
be very poor tract OF land. IL was
all the more noticeable from the filct
that the grain was very poor on the
adjoining farmss Being OF wf en-
curing turn of mind, We stopped and
intcrrogated the owner, and found
that he used the subsoil plow, lfaving
obtained one from Mr.. Brattlcy the
year before. This was his second
crop; he informed us that his iucrcsss-
Ell yield OF grain the first year was
seven bushels per acre. This year he
expected q much larger increase, and.
Judging from the appearance OF Iris
HELD, as compared with his neigh
0ors, we think there would be one.
half difference I'm the yield of grain.
But this would be an extreme case.
Yet 1t has In no siBgFe Instance, ~
far as our knowledge extends, faifed
TO produce favorable results when
used on either old or new ground.
My own experience after using this
plow for two years Ia such that I calr
safely say that 10 has increased the
yield of grain on my farm oife- third.
For the benefit of those who ara
unacquainted with this plow, I wilt
say that 1t Is simply q plow attach
ment, for suLsoiling, SO con structed
that IL can be readily attached to any
common piow, and from its peculiar
construction and the manner in
which itis attached; IL adds but very
little To the draft of the plow, when
run at depth of from three TO FIVE
inches. We cordially recommend it
to farmers as an iirplcnieiit worthy
Of their attention, aiid sincerely be-
lieve 1t will be blessed day for tile
farmers of this county when the
subsoil plow is added u their list of
farm iinpliments; for 1t viii mater.
ally increase the amount of the cro,
and relatively lessen tlic burdens Of
the farmer by rendering his ancient
and honorable calling more remuner.
alive. A WoRKISa FARMEn.
(Having had the privilege of wit
Messing the working uf ti,a .sItradfax,