Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-31
agricultural.
The Lessons of the Drought.


Never, in our farming experience, have W,
gone through a more severe brought. AL
though we were only four weeks without
rain The heat was so intense, and the eonse.
quefS demands on vegetation for moisture So
great, that they sufferest as we have neve,
known them to ~ ny before With ter
acres of roses, carnationT and garden yeoe.
tables, raised for market, and wide area for
farming land under the pillow and in grass.
we have had varied opportunity TO watch its
effect, and to study its action under different
circumstances. So far as we can Judge from
our own experience, the only sovereign rem
edy is abundant manuring, coupled with
drainage and cultivation. Ten acres of corn
on land that hitherto has shown the effect of
even slight drought, has grown without
lntermIsslon, and seems almost to have dis
regarded the unfavorable weather. Three
years ago this field was heavy wet CLAW
that was Equity in winter and bricks in
summer" During one part of the season
the moisture excluded the air, and during
the remainder it was so compactly baked
that air could not enter it. Two years AGO
1T was thoroughly underdrained with tiles
four feet deep and forty feet apart. and the
effect of this is now beginning to be felt
Last fall it was very heavily coated with
very rich manure, which lay on the surface
all winter. This season, just before plant
ing time, the land was plowed to depth of
not more than four or five inches, and was
subsoiled as deeply as possible, which, owing
TO the unregenerate character of the soil
was not more than four or five inches more
The crop came up regularly and went off
rapidly from the word % 60" The shallow
blowing kept the manure near the surface.
and the soil turned up was probably ali |
permeated to a greater or less extent by the
soluble parts of the manure which had been
washed in by the rains, and which had
helped to develop very vigorous sod. By
the time the drought comm enced the roots
had penetrated so deeply into the soil that /
they found sources of moisture beyond the |
reach of the drought. Constant horse-hoeing |
and hand-hoeing has made the soil so loose
that 1t was easily penetrated by the moisture
bearing air, which gave up its water to the
cooler particles of the lower and shaded
earth.
The effect has been that while other corn
fields IN the neIghborhood have suffered Sc
verely from drought, the growth on this has
been all that could be desired, and the fruit
ing is even stronger than it would be reason
able under any circISp stances to hope for.
although grass N--~,s;;n pinched to a
minimum, roses have produced only minia-
ture buds, late potatoes have stood still in
their growth, cabbage and celery plants have
died in the seed bed, luxuriant tomato vines
have ceased their growth, and TIER fruiting
and aftermath is soil, this one field, that has
had fair treatment, is absolutely 1niniured.
and up to the blessed time when the rain
finally came, it showed never a curled leaf.
Other fields were underdrained and sub
soiled, and others not so treated were well
manfred. 1t was only when undertaking
and subsolling and manuring were all com
bined that the land fairly lau ghed at the heat
and dryness, and went on its way rejoicing.
as though it had no need of clouds and rain. :
How much longer it would have continued :
to grow without rain, it is impossible To ;
guess. But under test that has robbed :
,cSees of their leaves and fields of their grass. J
;erc, as behaved as though bathed with thun- !
40 shower twice a week. )
hen, would be curious to commute how mncb !
uesdrdinary farmer would have gained this :
,er II could he have put all his fields in the i
5;.b .tion of this one. When we consider =
aaborers must be paid and teams fed and. !
sown, and the manifold work of the !
Eicied os-whether crops are good or !
fr,s s,,s -ss'fi loss m pt tl,-r-i sss---. :
gops - Brought occasions md we .
hat there is no sure way in farming Cyl q
opt the very best way. Any man of expe- ! =
rience will readily acknowledge that The :,
reason why he has not grown rich faster. Is :.
not that he has not worked hard and done ;,
1ls best to save his money but that what he h,
'as made IN one season by good luck has n,
'oen CoO oIteh swept away the next season n
y bad luck. 1t is precisely this element of e.
uck that we should strive to avoid. No -
nan can afford to embark his capital and his 10
abor and bis wits in the purchse and man II
cement of well stocked farm. and then s'I
ang all his hopes on jack. We had better e.,
eyote our time to the improvement of our ,Te
Iinds and the enjoyment OF life than to the ne
orkIng of oCr farms for the fun of the thing M
Mess we can make our farms grow better he,
I'd our farms grow richer year BY wear, we or
ID better busy ourselves about something ne,
We; end we can never, with certainty, do ina
is until we can depend on having good ser
ops, whether the season is wet or dry. thi
The number is very few of those who can ner
once drain all their lands that need it, can ont
bsoil lever they pillow, and can give an not
undan< ranuring to all theirafelds, but if Of
, iEnEa;:E zee of all these sss,erations were ",
~. tahe number ~ would find means r..
rex sas.sI every ease ii immunity from the
thing Effects of such drought as we have c
'sed through would convert new men to a be s
n IN the importonce of thorough work. take
r. Post. Wa
Tax
cold