Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-03-27
Alexandria Gazette
Benefits Of Deep PlOughing.


To the editors IF the -M,yhund Farmer.
[ will add Il few observations and facts corrob-
orativc Of the bcucfts Of deep ploughng mas
much as in some parts OF our country, the luca
is controvertcd, and an argument drawn FROM
recorded experiments, advanced III favor OF
shallow ploughing
When speak of deep ploughing,, it is to
he understood that the object in view Is to OBJ
tain greater depth of soil-that is, of earth
mixed with humus, aud other, vegetable anu
animal matter, all pulverizcd. The depth
should be increased gradually, and the manure
increased at least in proportion. 1t necessary,
let the breadth Of land in tillagc, be diminished
with the increase Of depth, while the manure
remains the same. 1t is fatal mistake to un,
dertake to cultivate more land than can be we'll
manured, and have the requisite labor timely
bestowed on the crop.
The mechanical condition of the soil must al
80 be regarded Much depends on it. Protcs-
sor Wells, several years ago, analyzed some
specimens Of soils taken from sterile district,
in Connecticut, and from the fertile region or
the Miami Valley, in Ohio, and he found, to
his surprise that their constituent elements
were identically the same, the difference in
productiveness depending on the mechanical
condition of these clements in the sol-the soil
being hard and coarse; the other mellow, and
iuely disintegrated.
Speaking Of this Miami Valley, reminds me
of an anecdote against myself About the year
ls43, when | commenced farming, | had
piece of land in corn. of which, from the COM
mendations bestowed upon it by nelghbors, l
naturally felt little proud \ gentleman
came on visit to me from the Miami Valley,
and soon took him out to see my corn-held;;
He asked me in slow enunclatlOn, how much L
expected to the acre? told him was work
l. b,,- lo1, Ia ta1
in the same slow speech, that is just what my
tenant gives me for my share; | let him have the
land, and he delivers in my crib, AZ bushels tor
every acre" | was astonished 'What
says [ suppose it is an unfavorable season
I've are just as certain he replied 'ot a
crop of at least SO bushels to the acre, as we
plant the corn, and attend to it; and III many
seasons we get l0O As may be supposed, |
returned from the field with abated notions in
regard to my farming.
Let us now examine little into the mode in
which plauts develop and increase. W hen
seed of any kind, which is principally composed
of starch and gluten, is placed in circumstances
favorable to termination, as in warm, moist
earth, the starch, which is lnsoluble, Is, by
most interesting and mysterious natural fer
mentation, converted into a kind OF sugar,
which is soluble, and thus adapted to the sup
port of the germ, or embryo plant. The larger
and ripper the grain, the greater will be the
amount Of starch it contains, and the more sac
charine matter it will be able to supply. to the
young plant, consequently, the more vigorous
will be its growth Grain when fully ripe, con
tains more starch than that gathered earlier
and is hence better for seed.
Microscopic observations prove that the germ
in every seed, is single cell, OF lnconcelyabIy
small dimensions, endowed with that inscruta-
bic power, termed the vital principle. In the
process of termination, tluld matter Is pre-,
pared in this cell by the agency OF the vital
principle, which oozes through its sides, and
forms another cell Each additional cell per-
forms corresponding part in the wonderful
process, and thus from these multiplied, dl'
minutive, and singly imperceptbe, cells, the
plant or tree is developed in accordance With
the type Of the species.
In all this operation, it must be observed,
that that which nourishes the plant, and causes
ts developments, must be fluid, in order to ad-
init of movement Opportunity, too, must be
afforded to each new CELL for its surface to llar-
den partially. If the ground is too wet, the
coats of the cell will not harden; IT too dry,
these coats become so hard. rs to be lmpervlous
to the contained fluid matter on which develop
ment depends, and in both eases, growth IS ln-
peded, or it entirely ceases. We can hence
zee why trees or shrubs, recently transpanted.
should not be too frequently or too abundantly
watercd.
Now, when there is depth Of soil, the water,
in wet time, settles below the rootlets, or
spOngioles, at their extremitles, and docs not
Interfere with the growth and this water, thus
held in substratum reservoir, rises IN Il dry
time, to supply the necessary moisture to the
forming cell so that the conditions favorable to
growth, will be continued longer in a deep SOIL.
in either extreme Of wet or dry.
The distance to which roots extend, even III
grasses and plants, is much greater than Is
generally supposed From the edge of LIME
stone quarry, on the farm of Judge Longstrcth,
about twenty miles north of Philadelphia, 4
bank of earth fell, leaving exposed q clover
root, which the Judge and my friend DIR. No
ble Of Philadelphia, measured. 1t was over
six feet in length, and descended fifty inches
below the surface of the ground.
The late John S. Skinner, whose name can
never be pronounced by any one interested IN
membrancc for his early jealous and long
continued labors to advance its interests, men
toned in one Of the Reports of the Patent OF
flee, that he aud two of his friends measured
the lengths Of the different roots of one hill
Of corn, and found the sum of the lengths Of
all the roots, large and small taken together,
was over 200 feet. or more than Il mile and
half.
When We reflect that these roots are all
formed from primitive single cell by the con,
tinued addition of those diminutivc cells, pre-
viously alluded to, and grow in the short space
Of a little over three months, We are made nc
ouainted with some of the wonders Of nature,
and see the necessity Of deep ploughlns, and ;
large supply of food in the soil, in order to Sc
cure large yield of corn. g.
DR.. Lee, in the Patent Office Report fol
lS50-jl, states that in Kentucky. in 1850, on
nne fields of ten acres each, making 90 acres
in all were raised l0,96O bushels, beng III
average Of l2l bushels per acre. The average
Of two fields was lS9 bushels per acre, each
Compare this with the yields OF our bes'
suits not from superior climate: but from rich