Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-10-15
agricultural department.
Original.
PLOWS AND FLOWING.

The great agricultural implement of the
South is the plow. By this we mean that the
only agricultural implement in use, to any
considerable extent in the South, is the plow.
Not that the Southern plow is model imple-
ment of its kind. On the contrary, it is, in
many respects, very defective. In order to
know what plow must be that it may be a
good plow, it is necessary to know what is the
object of plowing. The primary object Of
blowing is to break the soil, and thus put it
in a condition for receiving and retaining
moisture The rains run off hard ground, but
by soil that is we'll broken they are absorbed.
Another object of blowing, is to make the soil
soft, so that the roots of such crops as are
planted in it can easily pass through it. Hard
freezes have similar effect upon the soil.
Hence, after a severe winter, fruitful sum-
mer usually succeeds.
We conclude that plow, to be good
plow, must have the following qualities: 1t
must penetrate the soil deeply. Whether it
be turning plow or not depends upon cir
cumstances. If the surface of the soil is COW
cred with vegetable matter, such as weeds and
grass, these should be turned under so that
they may rot and become mixed with the soil.
The proper time to turn under this vegetable
matter is in the fall of the year. 1t is not wise
to turn up great deal of the subsoil, but
little does good. The subsoil should be bro
ken as deep as possible. There is no danger
of breaking land too deep. The only danger
is in turning to the surface too much of the
subsoil. The first characteristic of a good
breaking plow is that it plows deep. Anoth-
er requisite for good plow is that it breaks
the ground as thoroughly at the point as it
does on the surface. A plow may run deep
and break the ground we'll on the surface, but
at the point only narrow trench is made,
leaving ridges between each furrow. Such
plow is not good one. Every good plow is
so constructed that it cuts, as near as possible,
as much space at its point as it does at the
surface. A large number of farmers are de-
ceived in this way. They break their lands
with long plows, sharp at the point, but broad
at the top. The plows penetrate the ground
sufficiently deep, it may be, but if the loose
soil is removed, it will be seen that they are
only making narrow trenches in the ground.
All of the surface is broken, but only small
portion of that beneath the surface. Hence,
the cry is often raised by farmers, "deep plow-
ing does no good" Another essential to good
plowing is to have good stock. No plow,
however we'll constructed, will do good work
with Indifferent stock. Poor mules or poor
horses make poor out in drawing a plow.
One might as we'll try to haul heavy load on
a good wagon with poor, weak, halfstarved
stock, as to try to do good plowing with indit-
ferent mules or horses.
The time to break land should not be over
looked. AS a rule, all deep plowing should
be done in the fall In no case should it be
deferred to spring, when it can be done in the
fall. This gives the vegetable matter time to
rot and become part of the soil, and it pre-
pares the soil to be benefited by the winter
frosts. All deep plowing should be done be.
fore the crop is planted. In the working of
the crop, whatever it may be, nothing should
be broken but the surface Not that the deep
blowing would ipjure the soil, but it would
break the roots of the growing plants and
thus injure their productiveness.