Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-04-21
Eteep and shallow Flowing

a prominent and successful planter gives
his views on the important subject, to
Southern Agricnlturis1s in the following
language 49,
- L have paid a great deal of attention to
twh"t is termed deep blowing, and never
vet have seen ally blowing that can average
over ak inches doep, ana that looked SO
deep, TO an inexperienced person, it could
easily be palmed off as eight or ten inches
deep. But after trying satisfactorily both
deep and shallow plowlng, | have come to
the conclusion that blowing sh0ul,l be reg
ulated to suit the land We were blowing. :
Ii L went into field with but four inches
Of coil, / would turn over that land but
three or four inches, and subsoil in the
furrow of the turning pillow that would be
my system for the first time plOWed such
lands. And the next year if there were
stubb!e or weeds on the land, would turn
under again, going this time from four to
six inches-that is, would never pillow any
land deeper than its soil-the first blowing
with turning pillow but each succeeding
breaking mp, l. would gradually go deeper,
until reached the depth of seven or eight
inches, which Is the maximum depth have
yet seen done by the very best ploWs,
ploWmen and team of two and three
horses and if We have weeds, stubble,
clover or peas to turn under annually when
OACAhIAB zap, SOlI Gull Do HlN(c U6epGr lnaQ
when we first commenced.
My rule for blowing is, to be governed
entirely by the quantity of tho lands am
going +, plOw. If shallow soil, L pillow
shallow, and subsoil and put on the land
such crops as will make the most rubbish
to turn under-and, in time, a field of
shallow soil can be deepened by indicious
blowing and rotation.
l would never turn mp the clay to the
surface if it can be avoided and if a field
had SO little soil would break up such
lands entirely with subsoil plOws-then
SOW them down with small grain, cut stub
bles long, and then turn under ns above
described.
There is no implement we use of SO
much Importance as the pillow ; it is our
first and greatest implement, hence every
farmer should make the pillow and blowing
his study he ought so to understand it as
to be enabled to instruct or aid the manu-
facturer in its telling him
what he wants and what is necessary to
make pillow perfect. But as it is. there
are SO few farmers who understand the
pillow and blowing. we have been de-
pendent entirely upon the manufacturer
to suit us in plows, in accordance with
their own ideas of what the pillow should
be, and, right or wrong In construction,
we find but few who know it. The pillow
may break and turn well. and the draft
may be too heavy, or the draft may be
light, and the work OF the pillow imper-
fectly done also, the fault sometimes lies
in the gearing in of the beam. But be
the fault where it is, the farmer should go
understand the pillow, blowing and gearing
in of the same, as to detect the error and
point out the remedy. If not, his p1owings
are accidental, whether right Or wrong.
In turning lands, it will be noticed that
some plows turn the furrow slice fiat over,
or lap on the principle of shingling.-
Where the pillow turns the furrow over fat, |
prefer such pillow for manurial pur-
poses, that is to turn under clover, weeds,
Or stubbles.
But IN breaking the ground for cultiva-
ion, and especially for corn, give me the
blow that lodges its furrow-as, when the |
burrows are so lodged the ground remains
onger loosened and broken-as it is not |
10 easily run together and compressed by |
aims as when the turning over is fat.