The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-25
From the Southern Farmer.
PlOWing---Wheat Culture and Fer
~tillZcrs.

The time is at hand for starting thu
plOw for next years operation
From the quantity of rain, our stub
bic lands arc covered with a ranl
growth OF weeds, which should now
be turned under W it'll large turning
plOws for manurial purposes; also, j
we have lands i'm fallow, they should
be at once broken up for wheat. The
| trouble with most of us is that cotton
is ready to be picked, which employ!
all to save it in time ; hence fall plOw'
ing is discarded for this all important
crop, which starves out men as well a:
the land. Cotton brings money, bu,
does not pay.
A word or so i'm regard 10 the prep.
aration of lsnd and sowing of the
wheat crop. Some practical farmers
maintain, to sow the seed on the
rough, unbroken ground, and pillow in
with scoOters, breaking and covering
at the same time, the best crops are
made that way. If so, it is certainly
the cheapest ard most expeditions
mode of making a crop. But it is
against all the rules of scientific farm.
ing, by which it is maintained that
the better the ground is prepared by
blowing and narrowing before seed
ing, the better the chances for an abun-
dant crop; and it looks reasonable,
taking everything into consideration.
We are often met with practical
demonstrations entirely opposite to
science and scientific experiments,
which Guide the latter. Asihstances,
Twill cite some cases thst have fallen
under my own observation, as well as
what l have heard from most reliable
and practical farmers, in support of
the rough system of covering wheat.
There were two ne;ghbors, whose
fields joined, separated only by a
fence, and the lands were similar in
age of cultivation az we'll as in quail
ty. MI. A. broke up his field 20
acres) with the best two-horse turn
ing plows, breaking the ground deep
and thoroughly he then seeded the
ground, and brushed in the wheat
with a heavy brush, leaving the
ground, to all appearance, in a most
beautiful condition. His neighbour,
Mr.. NJ, sowed his wheat at the same
time, on rough, unbrOken ground,
among corns stalks and grass, and
scoootered it in rs we'll as he could.
The difference i'm the appearance Of
the two fields, after each was sown
and completed, was that of a we'll cul-
tivated garden by the side of a rough
cornfield pasture. In due time the
wheat was harvested, and to the sur
prise and modification of Mr.. A., and
others who had great confidence in
his mode of preparation and sowing,
Mr.. NJ, with his rough scratching sys-
tenn, made three bushels of wheat per
acre more than MIA. will now cite
another instance, where one of our
most intelligent and practical f:rmers
made this experiment in the same
field lie prepared ten acres of ground
most thoroughly, by deep breaking
with a two-horse turning plOw, and
also, using phosphates as a
manure; then lie sowed his wheat
and narrowed it i'm. Now this ten
acres he intended for his brag piece of
wheat hence the pains taken with it.
The balance of the field, sOEc 90 acres.
he directed his freedmen to SOW down
i'm the common way-that is, to SOW
down the wheat on the unbrokeI
ground and plow in with scOOters, us
ing no phosphates. To his astOnish-
ment and modification also, the fifty
acres sOwn by the freedmen beat his
ten acres seven bushels per acre..
These instances are not cited to dis
courage progressive or scientific agri-
culture, as it is called, as | am for
progress, science or any system that
will promote the farming interests of
the country. We are far short of
what agricultural interest demands
now ; hence we report instances in the
hope that errors may be corrected, and
the best way bc made known to in
crease our crops and improve our
We merely mention facts as
brought to our notes, and come I'M
der our observation. And as the
for sowing wheat is at hand, it is
well enough to draw the attention of
our farmers to this matter, in hopes
that all light may be thrown upon the
AS a farmer, l believe in
large plows and deep blowing more
than l do in expensive commercial
manurcs, for VIC can fertilize Our
lands with large plows by turning
under clover, weeds grass and litter,
and at the same time save them from
wasting by deep and thorough plOw-
III. DENT, IN Southern Far
,Rer.