Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-09-02
Fall Flowing.

Many farmers are now prOpounding
to themselves very serious questions
as to how they should plow their lands
both for wheat and for their next corn
crop. As wheat usually follows oats or
barley, and corn is planted upon a
clover sod, there are variety Of cir
cumstances which affect these ques-
tiOns differently. Wheat needs a
mellow seed bed, made compact and
firm, uut q loose, rough, clOddy surface.
The first secures rapid and vigorous
termination of the seed and an even
growth, while the latter secures pro-
lection to the young plants from the
storms of winter, and as the Clods
crumble down through the winter or
in the early spring many exposed
roots are covered with soil and a fine
mellow surface is made for the grass or
clover seeds. To procure this condition
Of the soil one blowing is not sufficient.
The stuUDie is covered too with sueiled
grain, every one of which spruuJIug
among the young wheat Is weed, and
is a- uur-tul 20 the crop IS any other
weed could be. These can NOT Ue killed
by one blowing. There are other leaa-
)ns why in The majority OF eases,
especially upon Eastern farms, two
plOwings should be- given for the fall
wheat crop but these TWO are sufficient
in themselves. The first blowing needs
To be shaIlOw-fOur or five inches Is
ampIe-as the most fertile soil, and
that which is amply supplied with
manure, needs to be brought 70 the
surface in this blowing, and the scat
tered seeds of the former crop need to
be started into growth. Then a rev
borrowings and one thorough rolling
will complete this preliminary work.
The seed bed is now formed. But II Is
not as yet where it is wanted. A second
blowing two inches deeper than the
first turns this down exactly where It
is needed. The sprouted oats or barley
and other weeds are buried and dis
posed of and these are below two inches
of clOddy subsOil, three or more in
depth of the finest melluwest surface
soil well inteTmingled WITH manure, II
manure has been applied as II should
have been. If the seed is sOwn with
drill, and three inches deep, IT Is
deposited in the centerot this seed bed,
lift is sOwn broadcast, the rOugher the
upper surface the better chance there
D. that such grain will find its way by
means of proper narrowing into Its
place in the mellow subsOil. No roller
should follow the seed, if the adyan
tages of the rough surface are 10 re-
tained. A hard, smooth surface j. Que
of the worst conditions under which
the wheat crop can go into the winter
As to the blowing Of clover sod iol
the corn crop in the fall, it Will depend
greatly upon the character of the soil
and the condition Of the sod. A heavy
clay should be plOwed under any cir
cumstances in the fall. If there is I
good burden of aftermath it may b,
plowed down at any time II the after
math is light, as long a. IL will grow j
should be left to do so. A light sol
will be injured by fall blowing, and a
the best 1t can gain nothing. IT vii
be made compact by the rains of win
ter ana spring, and must be cross
plowed in the spring, by which thu
half-rotted sod is brought TO the surfac
where it is useless and is wasted. Blu
the clay, when plOwed, remains rough
and lumpy, until the spring thaws re
duce it 10 a condition Of fineness ant
mellowness that no spring blowing o
narrowing could produce. And beneath
this mellow surface the sod remains a
it was turned down, only as yet partl!
or but slightly decomposed, but pre-
pared for the most rapid decompo
sition as soonsas the warmth of
May sun reaches its, IN N. J
IriIygJag