Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-02-12
a Blew use for the sub-s0iI PlOw.


result Of AZ experiment in restoring 70
full set of grass piece of land OF
close tenaeeous character, which had
been carted, and otherwise travelled
over, until the surface bad become SO
hard that nothing could grow on 1t,
and most of the grass destroyed,
without iDveF.iug the surface, and |
following, or cropping the land for
season. propose to give you d"s'
cription Of the mode By which this was
accomplished
The area was triangle of perhaps
n third of an acre, located by the side
of carriage roads and was portion OF
n lawn. where it would have been very
Questionable to have broken up aud
cropped the land preraraty to seeding,
which / decided to avoid doing If posi-
BILE. and resorted to the course shall
describe. aud realized a result so salts
factory that | have decided to commu
uicate it to the readers of the Farmer.
The Geld of experiment bad been
well prepared aud set to grass some
four wears previously, but bad been
Travelled over, of necessity, in making
extensive improvements, until Its con-
ditiou was as above described.
Many grass plants were still alive,
but the ground was so compact, aud the
surviving plants SO bruised and denuN
ded. that they could not recuperate
without assistance, aud if all were re-
stored that showed signs of vitality,
large norton uf the surface would still
have been unoccupied. used the sub
soil pillow az surface pillow, taking adj
vantage of a condition Of the soil, as 1T
regards moisture, the most favorable,
in the use Of steady strong team aud
q skilled plowman, with driver. which
was necessary on account of this pillow
leaving no open furrow to guide the
team, | plowed the laud eight inches IN
depth. and cross plaughed, then re~seed-
ed it rolled the surface with a light rol,
Ter, and top.dressed with good well
decom posed stable manure.
Very few of the plants, yet alive,
were injured by the process, on the con-
trary they reeuperated very rapidly, aud
soon grew and developed SO that they
afforded protection to the young plants
of the new seeding, which also grew
well. and at the end of twelve mouths
this portion of the lawn was very nearly
as good as il was originally.
This work was performed in Septem-
Der, after rain, which SO sofsened the
soil as to prevent it from breaking up
in large Jumps.
The use of the barrow was tested on
n small portion Of the experimental
Mat. but it drew many Of the grass
plants out of the ground, for the preser-
walton of which this new mode of til
LACE was instituted, hence, its use was
discontinued. The writer has known
numerous instances of old meadows in
which the grass had filled 50 AS not to be
remuuerative, aud which the owner was
Obliged to break up aud crop, though
very reluctant so to do, on account OF
the unsightliness of the titled soil in
positions that were conspicoCs from the
dwelling, or the carriage approach.
am now we'll stisned that these
lands might have been reset with grass
without exhausting the land by crop
pirg, AMI the unsighiliness of tillage
crops avoided at points where 1t was
particularly Objectionable, and with all
good full set Of grass produced 1t
is proper 10 state in this connection,
that there are few sub soil plows in the
country tina; deserve the name.
| use no implement which have
found more valuable to me, OF that
served for a greater number Of valua-
bic purposes than the subsOil pillow
which ] Use.
| propose to desribe the peculiarities
of It's construction, aud some of the uses
for which | have found it invaluable,
for the benefit of those who do not
properly appreciate this implement for
the reason that they have no experience
in the use u good one.
The sub.soil plow which | have used
for the past twelve years is constructed
entirely Of iron and steel, is not as
heavy as many surface plows, aud will
resist the strength of four good horses
required in breaking up chslkey slatey
rock, which | have frequently been
compelled TO do to produce depth of sol
for planting trees, c. 9, l used THU
pillow and four heavy horses on the
Antietam Cemetery grounds, where
was obliged to form a soil Of rocky
sub-soil from which the surface soil haC
been removed in grading, This | die
effecnsly to the depth Of twelve inches
or more, by repeated plowings anc
and following this pillow with my gra'
ding and clod crushing machine, which
process reminded me of natures way o.
forming soils by the action of the gla9i
er, ga rasping process as described by
that distinguished naturalist Prof
Agassiz, in bis treatise on "the forma'
lio1 of soils
Inau experience Of more than twenty
wears with the use Of th1 sub-soi ploW
ia tillase for crops, have found il
prohmb in every case hut one.
The circumstances Of this failure w9'
10 consequence of irs miudicios use
where it should have been in conjuuc.
ton with proper undertaking, foi
the want Of which it provided for reeoiv.
a large amount Of water into the soil in
short space Of time, which was SO long
in flowing, or iltcriug out Of the soil,
had very gentle grade, that the lower
= -. C.i1 Lov;nf, n troo,,.