Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-08-14

l
DBsr..vs. SHALLOW PloWtNa.-There Is
still difference Of opinion IN this country ~ to
the policy Of deep blowing. The shallow plow-
ing advocates claim that .aequisition 10 thar
ranks of men who have long advocated deep
blowing. We believe that Che difference OIL
opinion, and 10 the results of experiments, is
largely due to lack Of knowledge as to how and
when and where deep blowing should be per-
formed. In England Mr.. Eyershed has been
opposing deeper cultivation Of the soil. Mr..
Mechi thinks he Is thereby doing much harm to
the cause Of agricultural progress and insists
that the present disturbance of soil Is too shall
low. We copy Mr., Mechi's Interesting article. |
He says:-I say '"soil," because In Nature It |
comprises what We call soil and subsoil. The |
nore proper definition would be "desturbcd |
and undsturbed SOIL" Why plants or trees |
prefer the upper and disturbed soil Is obvious. |
Disturbed, aerate. and manure the subso, and |
then the plant or tree will multiply It's fibers Of
roots in thai lower soil, especially as the surface
becomes more heated and dry. have s,rik- |
ing proof OF this in my back yard, where there
was once piegery. I'D up the space some
six feet deep with ordinary clay coil, and plant.
ed on 1t some aucubas, laurels bavs, arbor.
vitaes and box, in order to hide stable wall -
Although the plants were small. their growth
has been so rapid and lhxnriant that they are
from ten to fifteen feet high, and they absolute
| ly wedge or press each 'ther with develop
ment which surprises and also proves that il
the lower soil is both disturbed and amply ma
nured, small surface space is sufficient to
maintain an immense vegetable growth. They
| have found In the deeper soil the needful food
In some droppings from the ancient piggery.-
As regards the removal or transplantlng of fruit
trees, 1t Is only another proof OF the necessity
for more deeply disturbing and manurlng the
soil. BY removing them after having exhaust
ed their surface food, they thus 60 to new
aDIs
would not be necessary If they had an ancient
piggery or well manured soil 10 feed on deep
below the surface. Said my bailiff to me this
morning, DO you know why these cabbages
don't grow as they generally do?" said "No,"
well" he replied, "beciuse we omitted to fol-
low the piow with second one going some
inches deeper We were busy and could not
spare the horses, and now the roots are on an
untitled bottom"
The fact is the plowmen are always too glad
to escape the subsoiling, because 1t Is harder
work. The loss In crop by late and shallow
blowing Is, taking the whole country, some
: thing fearful. The roots of crops soon strike
through the thin furrow-slce and come on to
what call paved floor, and then the pale and
sickly plants give evidence of their uncomforta.
: Bile and Improbable condition. Many man
, gel crop has failed TO make Its appearance, be.
! cause the thin furrow-slice has been dried
through. We never miss our plant of mangt
because the soil is deeply double or trench pillow.
ed before winter, and it thus holds and gives
moisture, as well as being good filter In wei
I weather.
attribute the generally satisfactory appear.
ance OF all my crops to very deep cultivation
!, and would make 1t much deeper had l steam
power, keeping however, the lower soil still! un
> der the older cultivated surface.
consider 1t both a national misfortune ant
disgrace that our general agricultural pie crus
: is only as thick as an old family Bible.
ought 70 be as deep as our tables are high, anC
e it is so in the case OF Mr.. Campbell, of Buscot
| who, after draining four feet deep, cultivate,
with thirty-horse power engines thirty-six inch
es deep.
We are now about to manure and pillow OH
= land for transplanting cabbage after green tare
y moved off After spreading twenty loads pc
y acre of good rich shed manure Ono rain on in
$ two horses Will be Oh the first pillow, the secon,
one, Without its breast, follow ing in the path O
the first one, and drawn by four strong horses
That is the way to put in maximum crops
: Draining, where required should plecede dee
g | cultivation.
o 1t should always ba remembered that we can
y not manure the subsoil through the top soil, 70
a few inches deep Of the latter have the pow e
Q to arrest and fix a much larger quantity of ma
huilal eieiiien,s S--r-- tny .-.--.--~-.t-, ri."a
e | plate of lime, aud potash) than is ever applie
), in ordinary farming. This is why clover am
other deep-rooted plants can be grown at lon
y intervals, for only very small portion of mann
rial elements pass the surface soil or escap
beng fixed by it. The raw and unalered a,
I'd pearance of undistuibed soil Immediately b,
lie meath the plowed land gives unmis akable COZ
l. lirmatory evidence of the fact stated LiebI
le and Way explain the cause of this fixing
ie II is therefore quite certain that if We desi,
i' to manure the subsoil, the manure must be il
Is corporated with the subsoil, Or the subso mu
,e be interinixed with the surface soil. The Re
70 5. Smith of Lois-Weedon, used to throw asid
In n,.1fi ta.t
G. nure with the undlsturbed subso.- Rural J
ne Yorker.