New-York tribune., 1870-02-05
AGRICULTURAL,
,yrp,c,N INSTITUTE FARMERS cLuB.

N 4be ,,esence of several persons OF note III o'''
rarts of the country. Prof. Cook was Win U.s. ~ ~
Henry Colton some time Chemist for the Nor'h O"'-
olina State Survey. Gardner B. Weeks tne 'o'i'o
and faithful Secretary OF the American D''l9 in'"
Association; George Ayrault. who knows moro
feeding cattle than any man in the country ""S ~.
deputation of rosy-chccked girls from bos,o"'
Iawton of New-Rochelle whose name SOUNDS S''oiS
;b oil lovers of backberries, has failed LOT iuauS
weeks 10 ioin our deliberations but rene"ou "'''''
nermits HIM again TO unite his voice with ouiS'
Tho first letter was from a somewhat restless gen
tIenon in Leyden. MY. who owns goou u'IlN On
in Lewis Co.. but dreams of small iEe Trer IIG Gurts
nnrsery business. To him, answerne' fIanA IIun5
said: let Mr.. Miller be happy WIN ms 9i,, to
reds w no are in the same fruit me l0ok c;ng
a milk farm He shoud stay and push IL PloN"''"e
power PGn,y}SG 10 SG' CowS"E Coz Baxter NewSalem n "
would know whether it will pay ana II sO' "haV
e'Ppi"T r oninn-If he wants quantity, let him give
brerers grains shorts and buekwheat meal WIN
about rs pounds of hay in day. .s.,.o.,,
Frank iurrs-n butter is what he is aItei nc odi'-
not substitute any feed for corn meal; sot
Georgc Ayrault-My experience III ieedlng lGI lesn
IL that corn-meal is rather heavy IKE 10 hghteh
mn little with ground oats or wheat shOIls, Alu
oiwsvs give beets for dessert nearly peck at lee
and two feeds a day. creature will eat moro meal
and hoy and digest il better for having peck OF cut
sugar bects The secret OF iattenng + no cIoying
b;s G.A anncSite. and make him gain gradually right
along Summer and Winter alike. H.. ho
Chairman Ely-Mr Ayrault can prove tlat ne
sneaEs from experience by four of the heaviest
beeyes the world ever Saw-cattle that Welgh neal{
two Inn 1pece. They are now on eNhl1illon, auu
wonld Gl TO have committee VISIT MS aniIlSs'
ond Iearr the secret of his astonishing success MI
LYMAN ,an you find time to look into tins interest
NI With pleasure. but hope other gentlemen
will seryc with me. People might not believe such
awondcIiul tale on the testimony 0f one witness
Chal-Mr Reade, Mr.. CrandelL Mr ruler, ana
Mr. BraCdOn will, am sure, cooperate win MI Ly-
man. - rr. II,
Trimblc showed a specimen of corn, and SAID: 1t
viii be remembered that at one of our meetings last
Summer during the very dry weather, Horace Gree
lev stated that the misChevous and wicked teach
jpgs of thi, club would cost the country 100000 bush
eIs of corn this season." And Mr. Fuller said that
David Petit and little knot OF farmers IN salem
County y. Y. were doing more harm than TINS club
could do good in SIX months Now, mere is leItef
from Petit saving that neghbor of his, Samuel L,
Carpenter had this year 100 bushels OF sheled corn
80 the acre on meadow ground wlth-plowing as
shallow aS he cOuld-pTObably not even three inches
and that George Abbott had about as much, and
here are of corn from the fields of some OF
those farmers. When the theoretical farmers VINO
believe in such deep tage can beat these practcal
farmers two or three 10 one, II will be time enough
10 make such serious charges. These Salem farmers
have learned BY long practical experience Just how
deep to plOw TO secure the best crops; and, con-
sldeTing the dTOuth of last Summer. then crops OF
corn were wonderful. The discussions here on the
subject OF the Ocpln OF image udNt llIdCleu IlOle
attention than we are aware OF. individual as well
as farmers clubs, have been experimenting and
have much testimony to show that five inches or less
have proved better than ten inches or more. And
have reports from some who have taken Mr.. Greeleys
advice. and plOwed a foot deep, and say, as lr.
Hexamer once said here that the ground, for the
time being at least was ruined hope that this
coming season the farmers, far and wide will make
q fair trial If one believes in deep pOwing try
narrow land plowed shallow. If he believes in
shallow plowng, try one strip twice the depth. Thus
the practical farmer can settle this important
question We have but little authority TO settle it
here and those who have not tired both should be
more cautious in advising.
Mr Iawton-We of course could not be expected
TO be so unreasonable as not TO acknowledge the
and of over all other States But there is
pOss Oility of growing weary OF hearing Their praises
sounded here week after week, from years end to
wears end. That the farmers whose practices have
been again dscoursed of may get great crops on their
soil by shallow culture is not questioned, but to say
that farmers everywhere else should initiate them is
TO incucate an idle and wicked waste OF words and
Of work.
Horace Greeley-I travelled considerably over the
State OF New-Jersey last year, and IN my Judgment
me crop large as II may have been IN localities
was as o whole shortened not little by the
dronth. Now, l don't know any other sure way to
get moisture in dry. season than by gong m deep
True yOu may accomplish the same result by means
Of irrigation. or at least to some extent; and II
farmer can turn stream OF sun-Warmed water over
his cornield he has less need to fear the evils OF
shallow plowing But in the absence of this agency
the dcplOrabe results Of the three-nch system are
unless IN cases where the SOIL Is OF such
porous formation as TO permit the roots TO penetrate
tbough the substratum is not disturbed For in
stance amid the general failure Of last years corn
crop in Vrgna-full 5nUOacres producing not more
than five bushels each, and this mostly in cOnse
Quence of shallow Culture-l came upon some
stretches which were plOwed no deeper, and yet
brought 20 10 20 bushels per acre. But, mark
YOU these exceptional stretches were in every
instance OF alluvial formatlon-that IS, so porous
in their nature TO offer no obstruction TO
the roots in their downward tendency. These would
hay good surface
simply scariiied and nothing more, Just enough 10
allow the seed to gerninate. The Jersey soils, OF
which we have heard are essentially like those and
therefore permit the roots TO run without the as
sistance Of the plow. The truth is that soil OF such
8 nature does not need blowing; but because that
happens 10 be true is IL any kind OF guide or rule Tor
men ia generals On the contrary 1T is the rule APP
plicae TO nne-tentbs of all the land around us tat
Won must plow deep or expect the corn to witheT
when fine drouth comes. i frequently 20 down and
visit my nephew who is trying TO cultivate some Of
this Jersey land and tell him what / believe, and
what his experience Is proving 10 be true that even
the sands are better and more fruitful when plowed
deep aud fcrtilized literally. In ATLANTIC County
and ON lands near Salem have seen corn all burned
up with the sun when the plowlng was shallow J.
have touched upon laws inst immutable that Of
gravitaton and trust that the day viii come when
what is spoken of in this Club shall cease to mlsead
P!T OHinn-I would like to ask Prof. Cook, who
Is authority this subject, If he can confirm ME-
Greeleys statement 10 the effect that the SOIL OF
salem a. IA ITS geological fOlmauOll, ulHeIeht HOh
that IN other sections >,
Prot Cool-Mr Greeley states the case exactly 1t
is exceptional land David Petit is reliable in every
thing he reports but do not agree with his theory
at all and think he makes mistake. and that all
those who entertain similar opinions make mistake
when they claim that shallow culture is best every
where because it happens TO answer IN certain ocal
ties. The exact statement Is that deep stirring OF
the soil is always better but it should not bury the
manure nor the sod and rOtting sod will hold
moisture, and on corn crop warrant at times
somewhat shallow furrow.
MI FulleI-lt occurs opportnuey that have here
an item clipped from The Practical Farmer stating
that IN BIdgeton, New-JeTsey adjoiung this very
County Of Salem, where David Petit, author of the
hye-inch theory resides. lives George NJ Davis
impressive farmer He has been located fbere bout