Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-08-20
Enll PIOMing.

year " matter oil no small importance 10
the farmer, and he who can accomplish
large acreage finds himself iore-handcd in
our short spring months. At the same
time there is among many men an impress
sion that quantity is the great disideraium
to be looked to in this operation, aud they
are apt TO neglect quality. This is the
right season Of the year to pillow deeply. 1t
is said that Great Britain would double
her crop were the system Of deep cultiva-
ion to become universal, and with much
greater force may the same opinion be APP
piled to Canada, where our land has been
utterly run out upon thesuriace, and where,
few inches under nearly every farm, lies
a hard pan compactcd by the passage Of
the pillow year after year. Shallow plowing
is, we consider, one of the chief ctuses Of
that deterioration Of crops which take place
so rapidly after the virgin soil has once he.
come partially exhausted.
OF course, ia the discussion Of such
wide question as that Of deep blowing, CON
sidora,ion must always be had to the vari.
Gus combinations aud states in which DIFF
icrent soils exist There are exceptional
cases---or we should say IN exceptional
case, in which deep blowing would actually
be prciudicial, aud that is where there is
shallow top soil uuderlaid with gravel or
sand, highly impregnated with oxide Of
iron Such soil is, however, fortunately at
rare occurrence, aud whore it exists We
should advise the farmer to work It %. DO.
Tie as possible But even upon such o. soil
the use Of a purely subsoi pillow would bs
very beneficial.
The presence Of oxygen and carbonaccous
gases in the soils is absolutely necessary to
the growth Of all plants, aud these can
only be made available by thoroughly prat-
ing the pores Of the earth with atmospheric
air. There are men who have heard some
thing of the benefits Of deep blowing aod
have gone into it without due consideration
have turned up a subsoil, and upon it
have sown a crop which has proved fail
ure. They have then condemned the prin-
ciple, yet the principle was good-tho fault
was in the application Of 1t.
Presumipg that the soil is disintegrated
rock, and that these rocks contain, in
greater or less proportion, the salts neccs-
sary to the growth Of plants, the roots of
living plants, by the power which they OBJ
tain from the very principle Of life, are en-
abled to extract and imbibe whatever Of
these salts are attached to or contained in
the particles Of soil. The plough then
carries this disntegration still further, and
exposes new surface or new sources Of food
to the roots Of the growing plant. Now
this subsoil contains no mold or docaying
vegetable matter, and thus is usually termed
sour, or in other words contains much that
is detrimental to the vigor Of plant life.
1t ought then to be @rated to be relieved Of
its uoxious gases, and there is no season so
propitious, and no action so cilcctual for
this purpose, as that Of frost and snow.
Frost breaks up aud crumbles the particles
Of soil opening them to the action Of the
atmosphere, while the snow carries TO them
nitrogenous matter in large quantities.
The farmer, then, who feels convinced
that a deeper ploughing would be Of beuc-
81 to his land, must be gradual in his APP
plicaiion should plow say an inch deeper
every time, giving the subsoil ~ cold
and unavailable to the plant, bu: rich in
vegetable iood.-time to make those chemi-
cal combinations with the oxygen and car
bonaceous gases OF the air which shall ena-
BILE 1t to give forth ITS plant food to the
tender rootlets seeking sustenance. An
other advantageous time to pillow deep IS just
before an application of manure.
What is the secret Of that yellow tint
upon the barley blade when pat IN the
ground too early IN the spring. The far
mer VIII tell you that the soil was too cold
ana he is right But what made 1t too
cold SIMPLY the presence OF stagnani
water Water percolaung the soil Is ben
ehclal; but the instant that water gathers
in spot, 1t becomes injurious. The lar
mer knows the i'll effects OF stagnant water