Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-23
Farming on Clay land.

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ALTHOUGH the different clay lands M
among the strongest and most enduring
soils, they are often the most difficult to
manage. They are later in getting dry
enough to work in the spring, and after
heavy rains and will sooner get too dry
and hard to work well in the summer.
Being cooler, harder, and more inert, they
usually part less readily with their large
store of plant food than other soils. The
two principal remedies for these difficulties
are understanding and growing clover.
The former takes the surplus water out Of
the soil, SO it will get dry enough to work
much sooner, and remain more loose and
open when it is dry; and the clover roots,
acting like a wedge, loosen and open up
the soil; while both have tendency to
let in air, warmth and the summer show
ers, with all of their genial and chemical
influences, which have so much to do in
developing and bringing into active ope-
ration the before inert plant food In such
soils. At the same time, these operations
bring the soil into a much better condition
to be readily plowed and brought into .
fine state Of cultivation.
recollect reading, many years ago, in o
published letter from John Johnston, q
case in point. Having large field Of
heavy clay land, that had been UNDER
drained and was then in clover, TO pIow
for summer fallow, Mr.. Johnston supposed
1t would require two teams on each plow
to break up such land in the summer, and
he went to the field prepared to pillow in
this way. But, in commencing, he put
span Of horses on common plow, to lay
out the lands, and they went across wide
field and back without the least difficulty,
thus showing that the lard was in q con-
dition to be readily plowed with one team;
so the large plows were laid aside, each
team put on common pillow, and q good
clover sod was turned under without Diff
Guilty in this way.
In all sections adapted to the crop
probably wheat is the best grain crop To
grow on clay lands. The strong, well
prepared and well worked clay loans are
among the best and most productive OF
wheat soils, and few clays are so stubborn
that undertaking, growing clover and
thorough cultivation will not bring them
into more or less pliable loan. Summer
following for wheat also affords better
opportunity to work such soils to the best
advantage, as the time to plow, when they
will work up fine and mellow, may be se-
lected. The disqualification and prepare
ton for the seed, by having much longer
time than is possible for spring crops,
may also be done to better advantage.
Winter wheat is also a good crop to seed
to clover with and after such land il
drained, two or three alternate crops of
wheat and clover should bring the soil
into o good condition for most cereal
crops. .F.r
Oats also do well on clay land, and often
give large yields, but the tendency Of the
crop Is rather to make the land harder
than otherwise. Perhaps fall blowing for
the crop, and leaving the land in cOndi-
ton to be benefited by freezing--surface
draining having been well attended TO-
may be an exception; at least it is prabsbls
that 1t is the best way to grow oats on clay
soils. Heavy clay soils are not adapted tn.
corn; but good deal of good corn in
grown on the clay loans. There are alao
many of the heavier clay lands that, by
understanding and clovcring, may be re-
duced to a loan that will not be bad for
corn. 1t must be pretty stiff clay that,
after thorough draining and growing few
crops Of clover, with good, vigorous
clover sod turned under in May and thor
oughly prepared, will not be in condi-
ton to grow good corn. As rule, and in
| sections suited to the crop, barley will an
swer where corn does WELL If the.
land works mellow and don't bake badly.
and the clover sod turned under tor corn
turns up dark rich mould the next
spring. barley sown on this preparation
ought to do we'll.
Where wheat and a rotation OF crops arc
not available, grass must be the main de-
pendence on clay lands. When sufficiently
| nndcrdrained to save them from running
into any Of the low land, coarse, wild
grasses, and thoroughly subdued, prepared
and MANFRED where needed, and then
heavily seeded, heavy crops Of grass may
| be grown many years without change,
and with no other fertilizers than yearly
dressing Of plaster and an occasional ap-
plication Of fine manure to the surface.
| Such grass land must be profitable; and
in all sections and on all fields where
wheat and corn are not available, heavy
clay lands should be turned into meadows
and pastures Of this character. True
clover only grows few years on such
meadows, and the tendency of the timothy
and other grasses that remain, Is to gradu-
ally settle the land down into more COM
pact and hard condition. Yet even this il
much less injurious than the course taken
by many in trying to raise grain, and often
WOrKlDR tnc l8nu clLner 700 wei Ok UO
| dry, and not draining, cloverfng, and SUBJ
DUNG and seeding as it should be.
The grass crop is not only Of immense
present value, but IL is of constantly in
creasing importance; hence all lands that
can be made to produce heavy crops at q
reasonable expense, should be thoroughly
prepared and well seeded. All the lighter
loans and sandy -gravelly soils are much
less suited for permanent grass lands, ~
the grasses are much more likely TO run
out 50 they are much better and more
probably managed in rotation Of crops-
But heavy clay lands are either suitable
for permanent meadows and pastures, or
may be kept in grass for long period4y
when they are well prepared and well
seeded, so that on all clay lands, although
it is always an object to grow heavy wheat,
the leading object must be to grow heavy
crops of grassr-msinly Of clover, or clover
and timothy, where rotation Of crops
can be adopted, and timothy and other
grasses best suited to the section wheye
permanent grass lands are best suited to,
the circumstances. Country GenasnoM.