Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-08-04
2fsric,llfural Department
I. D. B. COLLINS, Editor.
FALL FLOWING.


year is matter of no small Importance
to farmers, and he who can accomplish
large acreage finds himself forehanded
in our short Spring months. At the |
same time there is among many men an
impression that quantity is the great
desideratumito be looked to in this oper-
alton, and they are apt to neglect quail
ty. This is the right season of the year
to pillow deeply. It is said that Great
Britain would double her crop were the
system of deep cultivation to become
universal, and with much greater force
may the same opinion be applied to Can
ada, where our land has been utterly
run out upon the surface, and where
few inches under nearly every farm lies
a hard pan compacted by the passage of
the pillow year after year. Shallow plow-
ing is, we consider, one Of the chief
causes of that deterioration of crops which
takes place so rapidly after the virgin
soil has once become partially exhaust
| ed"
Of course, in the discussion of such
wide question as that of deep blowing,
consideration must always be had to the
various combinations and States in which
different soils exist There are excep-
tional cases-or, we should say. there is
an exceptional case In which deep
blowing would actually be prejudicial,
and that is where shallow top soil is
underlaid with gravel or sand, highly
impregnated with an oxide Of iron. Such
a soil is. however, fortunately, of rare
occurrence, and where it exists we should
advise the farmer to work it as little as
possible. But even upon such a soil the
use of purely subsoil pillow would be
very beneficial.
The presence of oxygen and carbona-
ceous gases in the soil is absolutely nee
essary to the growth of all plants, and
these can only be made available by
thoroughly aerating or impregnating the
pores of the earth with atmospheric air.
Good agriculture exists not only in re-
newing, but also in prolonging, the
fertile properties of the soil. Of course
all deepening of the soil must be done
gradually and with judgment. There
are men who, having heard something
of the benefits of deep plowlng, have
rushed into it without due consideration
have turned up subsoil, and upon it
have sown crop which has proved a
failure. They have then condemned
the principle yet the principle was
good-the fault was in the application
of it.
Presuming that all soil is disintegrated
rock, and that these rocks contain in a
greater or less proportion the salts nee.
~~-~-,s- ~ H. e,..orr4h nf nlante tho rnate
of living plants, by the power which
they obtain from their very principle of
life, are enabled to extract and imbibt
whatever of these salts are attached t.
or contained in the particles of soil
The pillow then carries this disintegratior
still further. and exposes new surfaces
or new sources of food to the roots o.
the growing plant. Now, this subsoi
contains no mold or decaying vegetable
matter. and thus is usually termed sour
or, in other words, contains much tina
is absolutely detrimental to the vigor o
/ plant life. 1t therefore requires to b.
aerated to be relieved of noxious gases
and there is no season SO propitious and n
action so effectual for this purpose a
that of frost and snow. Frost break
up and crumbles the particles of soil
operating them to the action of the at
mosphere, while the snow carries to ther
heterogeneous matter in large quantities
The farmer, then, who feels convince
that deeper blowing would be of bene
fit to his land, must be gradual in hi
application-should pillow, say an inc
deeper each time, giving the subsoil-
cold or unavailable to the plant, bu
rich in vegetable food-time. to max
those chemical combinations with tn
oxygen and carbonaceous gases of tn
air, which shall enable it to give fort
its plant food to the tender rootlet
seeking sustenance. Another advants
IS geous time to pillow deep is just befoI
II an application of manure.
IS What is the secret of that yellow tir
n upon the barley blade when put in tn
y ground too early in the Spring? tt
# farmer will tell you that the soil wa
}. too cold, and he is right; but what mad
D. it cold !? Simply the presence of stagnar
g water. Water percolating the soil
II beneficial ? but the instant that watt
gathers in a spot, it becomes injuriou
50 The farmer knows the i'll effects of sta,
|. nant water upon the surface of the Ian,
re because he can see it, and yet it is hal
,g to make him recognize the fact TIL
If there is an immense pool of water lyin
ID stagnant over many acres of his Ian
IS. just out of sight, a few inches belo
d. the surface.
lie Thorough undertaking is the effec
be ual cure to this evil, and next to tn
n comes deep blowing. There are feel
ON that have been nlnwad the sama don