The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-05-15
BY DIR. JOHN H. ruRMiS, OF SUMTER.

BY DIR. JOHN H. FURMlN, OF SUMTER.
'Yhere are two points in which conceive
our practice of agriculture has been particular,
ly ydefcient. These are winter preparation ana
modes of ploughing. With many 1t has oeen
customary to allow the spring to be Tar advan, !,
ced, or at least the winter to be pretty well
spent, ere the process of preparation begins ;
indeed, this is merged in that OF cultivation,
and the corn is growing ere the land is broken
M. and .the cotton is no on part of the planta-
ton before the earth has been fitted Tor lts re-
ception on the balance.
a change of circumstances involves the ne,
cessity for change of modes. We once had
virgin lands and cheap and reliable labor;
Then, if ever, the extensive and superficial
system had its advantages, for Though uit!-
mately destructiye) it often gave large lmmedl-
ate returns. Now, with to o large extent, ex.
hausted and denuded fields, and unreliable and
expensive labor to contend with, it becomes
necessary to obtain present support, and ac-
complish the ultimate improvement OF the
land, that we resort 10 ether modes and appl-
ances-that the extensive give place to the IN
tensiye-that we plough early and plough deep.
! For what do we plough3 This may seem
trite question, but it opens wide field for in
plough for, and how and when should we do
It? We plough to pulveriDs the earth. where
BY tine delicate, hair-like roots of plants may
ramify and extend, in every direction, thereby
obtaining ample pasturage to feed upon. And
here the advantages of deep ploughingg will at
once be apparent The man who breaks his
land eight inches deep, gives his plants twice
the pasturage that he does who breaks but four,
and he who penetrates twelve, trebles the
sources of supply.
We plough to let in the air and sun that we
may secure the fertilizing properties of the one
and the verifying and ameliorating action OF
the other, and we should plough deep in order
that these beneficial influences may be extend
edto a greater area of root pasturage Inc
air contains ammonia and carbonic acid, both
highly essential to the growth of vegetation.
They are rapidly and in quantities absorbed by
porous bodies, while compact bodies appropri-
ate little or none of these; therefore, by thor
ough and deep communion of the soil we
greatly increase the amount of these bodies
taken up and held by the land. They act also
as solvents upon many of the constituents of
the soil, thus preparing them to be taken up
and assimulated by the plant, We should
plough deep in order that these benefits may
be.extended 20 o large bnlkof soil .sS :
We plough deep that our lands may be saved
from washing; and that the rain water may
not run of, carrying with it its fertilzing prop
critics as well as those of the soil it reaches.
Rain water as well as the atmosphere abounds
In carbonic acid and ammonia, and by enabling
it ff5fly to penetrate the earth, we secure these
valuable ingredients.
We plough to turn under vegetation (dry or
green) and to bury the seeds of noxious plants.
By running deep We increase the depth OF our
soil. and cover up these seeds so far from the
Influence of air, heat and light, that compara-
tiyely few germiuate, and those that do, come
nm slowly and in sickly condition, and are
easily destroyed, thereby lessening the labor OF
cultivation !
By ploughing deep We net only turn under
and give comparative rest to the surface soil,
(which has SO long been drawn upon,l but
bring UP subsurface, which has, perhaps,
never been disturbed by the plough-into
which the roots of cultivated plants have pene-.
trated but little, and which contains much of
What has been drained from the surface soil.
In soils as light and sandy, las sre those culti-
waited by many of US, the high winds OF March
and April carry off quantities of the light sur:
face. thereby rapidly exhausting the land of
hnIsus, which is its life blood. By deep winter
ploughing, we turn up valueless surface,
which, if blown of, is small loss, as there is
an inexbaustible supply left And here
vould draw distinction between the plough
;no of preparation and that Of cultivation.
The one belongs to winter, and should be deep;
the other to spring and summer, and should be
shallow. -
It is true that the term deep ploughing Is
altogether comparative. What would be deep
with us would be considered shallow by the
turners-up of the almost fathomiess alluvlaI
denosits of the West. What might be deemed
SHALLOW here would be considered almost no
n1ouehing at all there. The character of the
eo;l and subsoil must to a great extent, regu-
Iese e. When the surface is thin and deficient
in vegetable matter and the subsoi of an in
ferior quality, we should commence continu-
onsIv and gradually descend as we add to the
onart;tv OF humus and the other elements of
fsrs;j;sy in the land ell we have reached the
-rreatest attainable depth. And here I would
eemayk that in deepening and improving the
1ual;t, of cur soil we not only add to its abili-
fy To sSstain plant life, by the increased amount
Of pabulum it affords, but add vastly to Its ca
naeity for absorbing and retaining moisture,
5act. the practical importance OF which cannot
be over-estimated.
The objection urged to deep winter PfePara-
,;on and shallow cultivation, that the lands
s,,,, togather and become too hard for the Wig
orons Growth of vegetation, will be found OF
l;m;teS anplication where the lands have been
nroperIy , broken and to the right depth; A
dne regard being paid to drainage, this objec-
ton applies. almost exclusively, to soils pre-
IF deep ploughing possesses advantages al,
ready hinsed at, how important that it should
be accomplished as early in the winter as prac-
ticable that the benefits of the winter rains
land frosts in further pulverizing the land)
NAV be secured, that the air may have as long
that att the stubble, weeds and grass may have
t;ne s to to ferment and decay, that the moisture
which arises freely from the subsoil, in seasons
Of drouth. by capillary attraction, bringing
with it the soluble elements of inorganic fer
tiiity from far below the surface, and depossi-
ting them there, as it evaporates, may also
contribute its benefits. :.