Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-22
FARM AND GARDEy.
DEEP PLOwING AND DRoUoaT

DEEP FLOWING AND DROUGHTS.
The frequent recurrence of droughts
during the past few years, caused doubt
less by the climatic changes engendered
by the destruction of timber, is directing
the attention of both practical and scien-
tific men to the best methods Of counter
acting their disastrous effects upon vege-
tation. While the purely scientific, such as
Prof. Espy, have suggested that humidity
may be supplied by irrigation or by prodt-
cling rain artifcially by the lighting of ex-
tensive fires; yet the objections to both of
these methods Che one requiring aconcert
of action among ihousands-the other an
outlay of money such as no ordinary
American farmer is supposed to possess)
are that they are not feasible The only
remaining remedy lies in the deep plow-
ing and thorough pulveriHgtion of the
soil Experience has shown that land
deeply plowed is seldom affected by
droughts, and science supports what ex-
perence demonstrates.
l. The object of all tillsge is to give
the roots of plants an opportunity of
searching for food. The soil is the pas
foreground, 50 to speak, where the roots
of the plants range in search of some
thing tolive upon, and the greater the facili-
ties given to the roots to permeste the
land, the more food they will obtain and
the more hardy aud thrifty will the plants
become. Now, when the range of these
roots is limited to few inches of sur
face soil, they spread out laterally and
feel more quickly the influence of dry
season.
2. Deep blowing, in practically incress-
ing the quantity of land, increases the
reservoir for the retention of moisture,
and enables the roots of the plants to
penetrate to a depth where they are not
easily affected by dry weather. Roots
that penetrate to the depth of two feet
have ten times the quantity of constant
moisture 10 draw from as those which
penetrate only one foot. By constant
moisture we mean that which remains
in the soil after the superiuous water from
rains has trickled away, and is only de-
creased by being consumed by the roots
of plshts and by evaporation.
3. As evaporation is diminished by
deepening the soil, land that is deeply
plowed will retain moisture 20 a given
depth much longer than that plowed to q
less depth. Other things being equal,
radiation varies as the compsctness of
the substance. This being 50, the more
compact the soil the sooner it is reduced
to the temperature of the atmosphere and
the soonerdaring dry, hot weather svege-
tAtion parched up and destroyed. As the
surface of land eeply plowed is always
cooler durin- the sy than the surround
ing atmosphere, it not only checks evsp-
Grafton but exerts q cooling influence
upon vegetation and decreases its liability
to be soorched or withered. ..
4. Plants GA deep soils are benefited
by reason of the absorptive capacities of
such soils more by tight showers and
dews Falling upon hard earth they are
Immediately dissipated, but upon deep
mellow soil, they are absorbed by the land
and appropriated by the plants.
5. BY increasing the conGensing pow
er of the soil moisture is constantly
added to it. The atmosphere is always
charged moro or less with moisture.
Take pitcher of ice water in the drycst
weather, and the moisture will condense
on the outside and form drops. Now
the land has been deeply plowed and pull
verified, the air circulstes freely through it,
and, coming in contact with the cooler
particles of soil beneath the surface, de-
posts a portion of its moisture to it.
Hence it is that in the severest droughts
land well and deeply worked is always
moist, and even dry, parched land can be
made moist by well working it. a good
laborer, with spade, can produce more
moisture in garden, by using it, than by
covering the whole surface with water.
1t may also be added that free circula-
ton of the air through the soil, in depos
iting moisture, deposits also fertilizing
elements, and so the roots of plants are
coaxed to descend to lower depth, and
consequently further from the influence
of dry weather.
The subsoil plow therefore is not only
wonderful fertilizer, but most efficient
substitute for rain. 1t is the best friend
to field crops in times of distress. 1t pre-.
serves them from drowning. 1t preserves
them from the fiery heats of the summers
sun. When they are athirst, it gives
them drink. When they are hungry, i
gives them food. When they would bC
parched and naked, it provides them witt
clothes of living green.
The time is not far distant when TO bC
without subsoiler will be as uncommon
as 10 be without a hoe. We have saiC
nothing about its uses for preserving oul
rolling lands against surface washing
That we design for separate article
The experience of the farmers in Middle
Tennessee, dmigg the past few years
shows that Their resulting losses from
droughts have bsen sufficient, not only e
pay for subsoihng their entire plantations
but also 20 pay for the construction o.
drains in every place where the natura
drainage is not sufficient. In 1856, dur
ing the prevalence Of a severe drought,
committee Of the New York Farmers
Club visited ne farm Of Prof. Mapes, il