The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-06-19
Farm, Garden and Household.


A member broached, in the Farmers'
Club, the subject of subsoiling and
trenoh-plougbing as n means of i'm
proving land. The former differs from
The latter in stirring without bringing
up the subsoil, while the latter inverts
and turns it upon the top of the turn
ed burrows.
Mr.. Dodge-One plan or the other
must be followed according to the ma
ture Of the soil and of the subsoil as
well. If the subsoil closely resembles
that at and near the surface, the plough
may be run deeper and the ground
trenched to any depth; if, on the other
hand, the subsoil is hard and infertile,
we must take care to pulverize it with
out getting it above the warm, rich soil.
where seeds sprout easily and grain and
grass start quickly and grow without
interruption, because the constituents
of plant. food are within easy reach and
in soluble form. Common sense must
govern in deep tillage as in every other
farming operation that pays. 1t is all
grounded on law of nature. When n
soil is of such texture that it will hold
just moisture enough and allow the
rest to filter away; when the heat of the
sun can penetrate deep into the mould.
and when all the chemical agencies that
we know are constantly at work in the
ground to produce plant food and there
by enrich the land have fair chance to
exert themselves, then of course, we
get the best crops, and find that deep
tillage pays. That depth of soil is al
ways availed of by plants is shown by
the corn in Kansas, where L have seen,
the roots godownt to depth of eighteen
inches.
Col. Curtis-I think the utility of
deep tillage has been too fully demon
strated for us to waste time in going
over ground this Club has travelled n
hundred times before. But there is
one matter connected with deep fur
rows that is not yet properly appre-
clated: L mean the mixture of a por-
ton of a clay subsoil with q light or
sandy top soil. I once dug an omen
ditch across a field. The surface soil
was sandy but that at the bottom of the
ditch heavy clay. The clay thrown
out upon the surface so enriched it that
when the crop grew the next summer
the clayed streak showed a dark green
belt across the field by contrast with
the rest. Another time L spread CLAW
from the bottom of well twelve feet
deep. After exposure for year to sun.
frost, and air, it received the roots of q
young apple tree, which has been
growing thriftily for years.
Professor Whitney-The practice of
our friend Curtis is founded on sound
science. 1t is well known that three or
four per cent. even of clay on q sandy
soil will greatly increase its capacity for
absorbing manurial elements from solu-
tlons and modify materially its proper
ty of retaining moisture and also change
its mechanical condition. There can be
no doubt that plant roots seek nourish-
ment at any depth. I have been told
that the blue grass of Kentucky sends
the root tibrils to a depth of two feet.
and the thread-like roots of corn have
been traced vertically eight feet below
the stalk. L havGnoted, in Southwes-
tern Missouri, the depth of roots as
shown by slides in railway cuttings. and
have frequently found it to be from one
to two feet in the natural soil. As TO
the subsoil of the Mapes farm and of
Salem County, N. j., some of our men,
bers present will recall that I analysed
both few years since. In each the
proportion of organic matter was con-
siderable, and it was plain to me that
thorough and deep tillage had done for
the tough ferruginous clay subsoil of
the one whata bountiful Providence had
provided in the light and friable sub
soil of the other.
To Get n Good Well of Water.
In answer to an inquiry, B. G., in the
scientific Amcrican, says: I have the
best pump water in the neighborhood
my plan was the following: Hang in a
well, suspended by a string, coarse
canvas bag, with three or four good
sized lime stones and one or two Jumps
OF charcoal in it. Have a string long
enough to nearly reach the bottom of
the well. In week or two take out the
charcoal, throw back the lime stones
into the well, with five pounds of soft
coal. Put round or square wooden
shoot up at the back of the pump carry
the shoot up higher than the pump for
free ventilation. If the pump is out of
doors, put a ''tee" on top if under
cover, fine wire gauze will do. j. S.
L., can cover up his we'll, and I think
he will have no more trouble in getting
drink OF good water at home.
Everlasting Fence Posts.
correspondent of the Western Rura
says: ~ discovered many years age
that wood could be made to last longer
than iron in the ground, but thought
the process so simple and inexpensive
that it was not worth while making any
stir about it. I would as soon have
poplar, Eastwood, or quaking ash as
any other kinds of timber for fence
posts. L have taken out Eastwood posts
after having been set seven years that
were as sound when taken up as wher
they were first put in the ground Time
and weather seemed to have no effect OF
them. The posts can be epreparedf for less
of others will give the recipe: Take
boiled linseed oil and stir in it pulver.
lied charcoal to the consistency of paint
Put coat of this over the timber, and
there is not man that will live to see il
rotted."