The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1870-11-10
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Southern Cultivator.
Deep Ploughing, Under.Drain'
age, SC.


In answer to Rions and Noco,
of Mississippi, i would say that all
well.informed farmers know that
in the old countries, where from
$50 to 300 persons have to subsist
on q square mile ofland or starve,
they use that system of agriculture
which produces the most, viz. to
plough deep and under drain-not
only to wet lands but dry uplands.
. will, double the. cropiby under
...drainings T will give @. Rions an
example of only a half.perfect sys-
O TEN, which lie can comprehend
In 1865, an old field in North Geor-
gia, which had been turned out
because it was too poor to work,
was turned under with a Brinly
plow, 4 inches deep, covering up
;thefsedge and pine bushes. This
was done in August, and on the
Goth of September, iitwas sowed
in wheatand the seed narrowed
in-cut Goth June, and made 4
bushels per acre. In August the
stubble and weeds turned under 5
inches deep, and sowed the Goth
September, covered with an iron
harrow, and the next year made
9 bushels per acre turned under
in nAugust, and sowcd the Goth of
September, and made II bushels
per acre; and the last year, under
.Stlie same course, made 27 bushels,
withnut-e-PartiU or manure. Ii
the ground had been under-drain
ed, it would have produced so
per cent more. What increased
the production ? Plant food? The
land had received no addition, ex-
seept the green crops and the gases
that could got to the spangioles or
by reason of sub soiling. God
sends the, plant food from Ken
. .fucky,; Tennessee, and the Atlantic
. ocean to you, but you do not and
.ewll not prepare your ground, it
: goes to your neighbor, who ispre-
pared to receive it. The ground
must be prepared by deep plough
ing and;sub.soiling or underdrains.
;, In England. every county has
manufactures of tiles, so has
Pennsylvania and New York, and
these tiles cost from So to ST per
thousand; and whenever the farm
erploughs bottom lards 12incbes
deep, and every Sd or 4th year
(accrding to the nature of the soil]
subsoils 16 or 1S inches deeper he
doubles his crop; and il, in addition
to this, will. underdrain his bottom
or upland either, by tile drain as
in the >Northof Europe, he will not
only make more. but will never
snffer from drought or frost.
Under drains average 80 inches
in many parts Of Georgia and
the West, 25 inches are sufficient,
but in Prussia, England and the
Middle States, most successful
farmers cut them 90 feet apart
and 36 to 40 inches deep and sub
soil every 4th year at least "a to
80 inches deep, Just so as to avoid
the tiles. Under.draining- Is nx-
pensivc, and requires years to
perfect the system on a large farm;
but when done on & large or small
farm and garden, it always pays
we'll. " = =
The circulation of the air, Toad
ed with plant food not only
equalizes the temperature, but in
drought causes moisture to perme-
ate the prepared soil, and convey
all the plants for maturity. 1t is
uselss for farmers of common sense
to squabble about systems, unless
they investigate "cause and ef.
feet" Gods laws never change.
No sane man would feed hay to a
jay-bird or chicken, but to a horse
or jack ass it would be proper
food. The farmer must first know
the chemical constituents of his
nd, andthen he can sow and reap
with certainty.
I could show @Noco" good land
that will nots produce a bushel of
wheat 10 the acre, simply because
there is no phosphate flime init,
70 make the grain. If added; the
land would produce 40 bushels
lper acre. I can show him land
that will not produce 20 bushels
Of flrfsh potatoes per acre because
: it only lacks one ingredicnt-po-
tassa; add 20 bushels per, acre, and
you make 400 bushels! The farmer