The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-03-16
The Renefts Of Fan plOughing.

the fall is attended with excellent re.
suits is generally admitted That any
benefit acerues to soils Of lighter tex.
ture, is questioned BY many agrieultu-
rists, with whom we do not altogether
agree. An admit that the tenacious
character of clay soil is reduced, and
its texture opened aud rendered less
compact, by the operation of frost The
Jumps fall apart, aud are dsintegrated
by the mechanical effect Of the expan
sion 10 the act Of freezing of the water
held between the particles. The field,
which at the commencement of the
winter exhibited only surface Of
shapeless clods, in the spring is seen to
have been brought intO condition OF
mellowness which no amount of plough.
ing or narrowing could have effected
But is this the full effect Of the forces
Of nature, which operate 10 small things
as perfectly as 10 greaterg The power
which has forced asunder the elods, and
reduced them to fragments, has also
had an effect upon those fragments
themselves aud has reduced them TO
Particles SO small that the soluhiIity of
the soil has been increased. Thus an.
other effect besides a mechanical one
has been produced, or rather the oper.
alton Of mechanical force has brought
about conditions under which chemical
action eau more readily take place.
Now, can We believe that this result
only occurs 10 the ease Of clay soils Z
If this should be so, then, as there is a
variety Of such SOLE, the effect must be
proportional to the nature Of the soil
II clay soil is benefited, is cot also a
clay loamy Aud if a clay loan, why not
sandy loan If the particles of clay
soil are rendered more soluble by this
exposure to the frosts of winter. aud
those PARTICLES are mainly alumia
aud silica, how can another soil alto
gether escape similar effects, when only
the proportions in which those consti.
tnents aTs combined are changed But
we are told that clay soils are absorbent,
while more silicious soils are more or
less leachy, aud part with their fertile
properties BY the percolation Of water
through them. Then, IL this we're true,
a light or sandy soil would in course of
time be washed free from all fertilizing
properties. But this is not the ease
with these soils. They eau be improy.
ed by the addition of manure until their
characters are changed; the added col.
or and other qualities are not washed
away. Ii this idea Of lcachness. then.
Is unlounded, no harm, but only bene
fit, can result from ploughing such soils
in the fall. They will experience as
much Improvement in Que seuse as a
heavier clay soil. The reduction of
hard Jumps is not necessary, for these
soils are naturally mellow. but an in
creased solubility will have been gained
But one other benefit must not DO for
gotten here, which is, that deeper plough.
ing is permissible in the fall, and six
months exposure 10 the sudden changes
from frost to thaw will bring the hith.
erto unused soil into condition for assist
ing to bear crops We do not advise the
ploughing Of sod at this season. at least
not for corn crop. This should be
postponed until the last possible day
in the spring consistent with having
the ground prepared in time. But for
roots or oats, or other spring crops than
corn, we would plough now and manure
through the winter, when mellow aud
rich soil some inches 10 depth will
be ready to be stirred again in the
spring; and this we would do irrespec.
live Of the quality of the soil, whether
1t be clay or light loan. Potatoes
planted Ia graEelly loan thus prepar
ed have with US given double the
yield of those in ground not So treated
Oats, too, have b en- benefited greatly.
but the resui; with corn was unfavora.
BILE, mainly. we believe, on account of
the greater development ofweeds, which
prevented the crop from being kept
clean.
We have not adyerted to the eeono.
my oil time resulting from having the
ground ploushed before winter, and
ready for second ploughing early in
spring; but this is point worthy of
attainment under any circum. tances
Farm operations depend very much for
their success on stalking time By the
foreloek," and keeping work well push.
ed forward; and to have all the stub.
bles ploughed before frost sets in, must
be comfort to any characterization
1grieul,tTist,