Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-09-17
Shall We Plow Land Wet Rather than
Not PlOW It

This is question that often pre-
scnts ITSELF and it is almost always
decided in tho affirmative. "Oul
land must be put in; that is tho
thought, and whether wet or dry, tho
farm must be carried out.
This is dono yearly on probably q
majority Of the furms-tbat is to q
greater or less extent. Wcro the OK,
tent stated it would doubtless surprise
many, and still moro could the injury
be seen.
Land thus treated suffcrs-suffcrs
matcrially-sutfcrs not only for ono
year, but for scvcral-sufiers in the
crop and suffers in the soil.
In this way our land is hurt-all
our land, VIC may say, is hurt moro or
less in this way. Our clay land is
manglcd and almost ruined in some
cases. 1t is lumpy, pale, harsh-rat-
ties when the harrow passes over it.
1t passes, virtually, over so many
brickbats. The clod-crushcr benefits
it nothing, only reducing tho brick
bats to smaller brickbats.
The clements must do their work
again and it takes years, as We have
said, to do it. We havo known it to
many years and even a sod for scvc-
raj years, i'll addition, has failed to
restore it. 1t was 4 curse that had
fallen on the ground, and on the grain
and the grass as well.
A summer fallow, working in large
ly rank manure, finished what the
clements had left undonc. And even
then there was not the original tex
turc and fertility.
Lime, in some cases, seemed to have
Il good effect.
But why have this? Why curse
tho soil? Each farmer must have had
experience of this llind-at least each
farmer that has clay soil.
We arc not to plow our clay soil
when 1t is wet-not even when it
wants to be put in-whcn the case. is
an urgent one. Dispense with your
seeding for another ycar-brcak up
the rotation. Better do this little
harm to your pocket than the much
greater Of killing your land.
The next year will give you a
chance to put it in properly. Ti.is
Year it might might have done, many
chances to one. Plowcd in the fail,
as it should have been, it would have
been ready in the spring, at least if
there had toen anything like decent
drainage. And then with the first
mellow ground (and such soil is often
early mellow the seed should Lave
been sown. Oats, peas, barley, each
may be put in early.
This would not only have secured
good crop, benefited the soil, in
stead of hurting it almost irrctricva-
bly,.
If our land has been neglected in
the fall, and the plowing must be done
III the spring, it becomes us to be on
the alert and plow with the first
chancc-the very first, it matters not
how early or what may interfere. If
the soil is clay soil, especially a stiff
clay, this becomes all the moro impc-
ratlve. We cannot sufficiently urge
in this matter.
More: After the land is plowcd,
whether in the fall or spring, it is
equally important to put in the seed
IN good condition. In no case har-
row when wct-not even black mel
low SOIL New land we have known
to be crusted over in this way, suppos-
ing 1t was sufficiently light and pull
vcrizcd not TO hurt it-the matter be-
ing vegetable matter. Whole fields
have been spoiled in this way, as we
have known; though in vegetable
mould is less hurtful than in stiff CLAW,
or ordinary clay soil, or any other but
light soil highly charged with hu-
mus.
Keep shy of the wet under all cir
cumstances, SO far as tho stirring of
the soil is concerned. Even in the
fall do not plow wet. The frost will
help it, but will not cure it; the pack
ed condition is still there in the spring,
The surface may be somewhat amcli.
Grated, but examine it closely and it
will have harsh, dead feel; it is not
that liveliness which a properly trea.
ted soil has, attractive homogeneous
ness, full Of vitality, receiving the
grain to it's full vigor of life.
The soil want to be kept as it is; il
can readily be spoiled-killed. This
is done in innumerable cases every
year. After the sod has benefited +
after the frost and the heat and tn,
fertile warm rains have done thei
work in reclaiming the land, in eoe