The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-10-19
The RcneRts Of Fail Flowing


That the plowing Of heavy soils in
tho fall Is attended with cycelant re.
sults is generally admitted That any
benefit acerues to soils Of a lighter
texture, is questioned by many agri.
culturists, with whom We do not al
together agree. Al admit that the
tenacious character Of a clay soil is
reduced, and It's texture opened and
rendered less compact, by the opera.
,ioa Of frost. The Jumps fall apart
are disintegradcd hy the mechanical
effect Of the expansion in the act OF
freezing Of the water held tbetween
the particles. The field, which at the
commencement of winter exhibited
only surface Of shapelcss clods, in
the spring is seen 10 have been brou't
into n condition ,of mellowBess which
no amount OF plowing or narrowing
could have effected. But is this the
full effect Of tho forcesl Of nature,
which operate in small things as per-
fcctly as in greater ? Tho power
which has forced asunder the clods,
and reduced them to fragments, has
also had un effect upon those fragments
themselves, aud hos reduced them to
particles SO small that the solubility
Of the soil has been increased. Thus
another effect besides mechanical
one has been produced; OF rather the
operation OF mechanical force has
brought about conditions under which
chemical action can moro readily Ia ke
place. Now, can we believe that
this result only occurs in the case u!
clay coils II this should be SO,
then, as there is variety Of such
soils. tho effect must be proportioned
TO the nNure Of the soil. II q clay
soil is benefited, is not also a clay
loan? And ifa clay loan, why not
o sandy loam If tho PARTICLES OF a
clay soil are rcpd cred more soluble
by this exposure TO tho frosts OF WIN.
ter, aud those particles are mainly
alumipa and silica, how can another
soil altogether escape similar, effects,
when only the proportions in which
those constituents are combined are
changed. But We are told that clay
soils are absorbent, while more sill
cious soils are more or less lcao By,
and part with their fertile properties
by the percolation Of water through
them. Then, if this were true, u
light or sandy soil would in course Of
time be washed free from all iertii-
zing-properties. But this Is not the
case with these soils. They can be
improved by the addition Of manure
until their characters arc changed ;
the added color and other qualities
are not washed away. If this idea
of leachincss, then is confounde1, no
harm, but only benefit, can result
from plowing such soils in the fall.
They will experience as much i'm
proyemeut 10 one sense rs heavier
clay soil Reduction Of Jumps is not ne
cessary, for these soils are naturally mel,
low, but an increased soiubillty will
have been gained. But ono other
bcncG must not be forgotten here,
which is that deeper blowing is per-
missionatle in the fall, and six
months exposure to the sudden chan
ges from frost To thaw will bring the
hitherto unused soil into condition for
assisting 10 bear crops. We do not
odyise the ploughng of sod at this
season, at least not for q corn crop.
This should DO postponed until the
las, possible day in the spring cousis.
tent with having the ground prepar-
cd 10 time. But for roots or oats, or
other spring crops than corn, we
would, plOw now ard manure through
the winter, when n mellow and rich
soil some inches in depth will be rea-
dy TO be stirred again early 10 the
spring and this We would do irres.
pectivo of the quality Of the SOIL
whether it be clay or a light loan.
Potatoes planted in Gravelly loan
thus prepared, have with US given
double the yield Of those in ground
not so treated. Oats, too, have been
benefited greatly, but the result with
tho corn was uniavorable, mainly, we
believe. on account Of the greater do
veloI msnt of weeds, which prevented
the crop from being kept clean.
We have not adverled TO the econ
'oDy time resulting from having the
ground plowed before winter, aud
ready for second plowing early in
spring; but this is point worthy Of
attainment under any circumstances
Ratr. nnars stious dan.u1 va,u ....h