Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-09-16
Fall Ploughlng.

A writer in Southern Farm and Home
says;
One of the greatest defects Of the present
system of husbanary in the South, is the al.
most total absence of fall ploughing. Not
one farmer in thousand ever thinks of
plOughing the land in the fall which he il
going to put in corn and cotton next spring
II 1t has been in small grain this year the
grass and stubble are either depastured so
closely as TO be perfectly bare until calf
would starve to death on it, or the grass and
weeds are allowed to grow and withpr, rs il
to exhaust the soil as much as possibly, and
return nothing to it which can possible re-
store any part of the fertility of which it has
been deprived Bad as this .s however, it is
better than the pasturing plan
Ii our farmers would take the advice YOU
have frequently given them in the Farm
and Home" namely: To SOW cOw-peas on the
stubble Just after tho grain Is taken of,
plough them in, turning the stubble under at
the same time; then, before frost, plough the
vines under with good coating of quicklime
on them to facilitate decomposition and leave
the land thus exposed to the mellowing in :
duences OF the winter frOsts they would soon
ind that their cOrn-cribs and GIN houses were
iuller than before, that they would not be- so
run to death in the spring preparing for
planting, and that they could plant much
earlier, and thus gain time for plant-grewth
and aeratlng, and hasten the maturity Of
their crops.
!, look upon fall ploughing turning under
the green growth while it is still green and
exposing the soil to the winter freezes--as
squal 10 good coat of manure, apart from,
ths advantages Of early preparation.
!nere Is no excuse for not doing this rs to
croSs n@ cSsopsS cSms a1 BY small grain crops These
plenty OF time to turn under the stubbe and
cross plough the land again before frost, il
We would only TO try to find 1t, and would re-
coHnize the value Of the operation.
inere iI more reason for leaving our corn :
nsias with the withered stalks, and the frost
pltston tufts OF grass standing all the winter
because when the corn ana fodder are re
moved the hands and teams are generally oc.
caploa picking and prepar ing the cotton crop
1ot market. But even here time could be
Iolnd ny judicious management to turn these
stsl1s ana grass unde., and leave the corn
neids to become enriched, loose and friable
by the active indepces OF the rains and frosts
OF winter
Inc habit OF letting cattle run loose in the
nelds all the winter under the pretext that
tnSy are finding pasture is an absolute bar
nstlsm. y 1t doss great injury to the land and
n..s, ~ slow mode of starving the wretched
hold. Mr.. Editor, that good preparation
y. .ho iand is mora than half the battle of
.CI"p'ratsing, and that poor crops are mostly
~: :at result OF poor preparation, although the
W. asons generally come in for the blame.
were to work poor land and be obliged to
seioct the manure without fall plOughing
or Iall plOughing without manure, in the
RtSparation OF the soil for planting in spring,
.L should choose the latter always, and be sure
tnat would come out ahead of those who
relied on the former.
NJ oeileve IN stirring the soil. letting the air,
ssknt. ana moisture penetrate and circulate
ttarongh 1t, and deposit there the stores of
.eItility which the atmosphere so beautifully
supplies for plant food