Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-28
From the Country Gcntlcmn
Guarding Against DrOuth.

sivc heat IN most parts Of the country, has
been rarely cqualcd and like other seasons
Of unusual character, has taught or enforced /
valuable lessons The questions have occur |
red over aud over again, How shall we
prevent our crops from becoming dried up ? /
How shall we guard against the burning up
Of plants in the dry soil Must we be ever
liable to the pinching Of our corn, potatoes, |
and all other crops, by the recurrence Of eve
ry hot and dry summer 2'
Personal observation, aud the reports Of
farmers in the regions Of the severest drouth, |
have furnished additional proofs Of the ciiica-
cy Of the remedies which we have, together |
with our correspondents, recommended as the |
best means Of lessouing the consequences of
dryncss and heat.
l. Among the most prominent of these is |
thorough Undertaking. Garry oil the sur
plus Of water in spring, if you would preserve /
the soil SO that il may act like a sponge by |
making 10 loose, porous and mellow This is /
especially the case ON heavy soils Several !
extensive farmers, each Of whom have put IN
many miles of tile, Mt an expense of thou.
sands Of dollars uniformly assert that it con- |
tributes in an extraordinary manner TO the
retention Of the moisture Of the soil, and to
prevent the drying up Of the crop. On a |
large farm, consisting mostly Of heavy clay
loan, where fifty miles OF more Of tile drains
had been placed, and where little or no rains
had fallen for months, the owner said the
difference between drained and undrained
land, in withstauding the effects Of the drouth,
was immense" 90 the drained land, the
soil was fine, moist aud mellow On the I'M
drained it was hard, dry and covered with
hard clods
q This condition, resulting from under
/ draining, contributes in an eminent degree to
| the second remedy against drouth namely,
pulverizing by cultivation. The harrow or
cultiyator can accomplish but little when the
earth is as hard as a brick pavement; or
where il is covered with hard Jumps like
stones Striking contrasts have been presen-
ted the present year where corn and potatoes
on hard ground have been dwarled and shriy-
eled while on land kept mellow by the fire.
quent passage Of the harrow or cultiyator,
aud which had been thoroughly worked to a
sufficient depth in spring so as to admit Of
this successful mellowing, the deep green and
luxuriant foliage Of the crops Indicated the
ample supply Of moisture which they re-
ceiyed.
3. Depth Of soil is important. A mel
low bed Of earth eight inches deep will hold
ready for the use Of plants twice as much
water as one only four inches deep and it
will not be eyaporated half as fast being be-
, low the heated surface. A drouth Of two
months will be borne better by the deeper
soil than one month by the shallow one To
maintain this depth, and to prevent the parti-
, cles Of earth from being soaked and stuck to-
, gethcr, Undertaking becomes indisponsa-
; bic This depth is to be attained in two DIFF
, iercnt ways, according to circumstances. II
2 the fertile portion comprises only a few inches
at the top, and the subsoi is sterile mixing
} up too much from below would only make it
, poorer and at the expense Of the next crop
Plow therefore to the proper depth with the
common pillow, and break and pulvorze the
crust below by means of the subsoil plow
n If the fertile soil extends dowuwards to a
, greater depth, the common pillow may be sci
C deeper, or the sod-and-subsoil or double
l Michigan may be employed.
@ A. An absorbent or porous soil will with
J stand drouth better than a hard and compact
! one. Heavy soils settle and become NOR,
a compact by long tillage. Observations have
i been made in some Of the finest wheat re
l. gions, with strong or heavy lands in Western
d New York, and the soil has been found t,
e have settled or fallen, varying three to fou
r inches, below the line after it was cleared o
e the original forests. The vegetable fbr,
from docayed leaves and roots, with which i
a first abounded, were gradually worked ont anC
i disappeared. The soil became harder, anC
j. the crops it carried were more sensible to dry
l. weather. To regain the original condition
i the process is simple. Spread yard manur,
If and pulverize it thoroughly with the harrow
lie so that when plowed in it will be thorough,
e mixed through the soil. Pow in as frequent
d ly as practicable, crops Of clover or othe
II green manure. These will loosen the soil b.
n the vegetable fibre which will be imparte
le and mixed through it, and it will hold moist
10 ure better than before.
il g. A good rotation tends to prevent tn
v bad effects Of dry weather, especially on gras
l lands Numerous examples were witnesse
n the past dry season, where old pastures yield
0. ed but little grass aud were brown and burn
h in appearance. Newly seeded fields, deriyin
moisture from iresher bed of cultivated sol
r. suffered less and clover, possessing this ad
e vantage with the additional one Of long an
deep tap roots, grew vigorously and yieldo
Ie heavy crops.
IS There are certain localities where irrigatio
'r may be practiced to great advantage on grass
so and in gardens and in small fruit grounds
lie muchug if heavy enough, proves Of niue
le value. But for general or extensive appl
Vi cation the means we have recommended
ne namely deepening and pulvcrizing the sol
I'd in connection with draining and the inter
or mixture of vegetable matter, will prove mos
u eilicacious These remarks will not be re
Il garded as out of season, when it is remom
bered that preparation for and Performance
or of these operations, are the work'of the Who'll
W year.