Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-02
Mechanical Alteration of SOil-PIOw-
ing Wet Lands.

THE last four dry seasons have been ex-
cellent helps to the killing of weeds; we
have found it so, and have so labOred at
them that this year we have only used our
little wheel-h hoe, even in the cultivation OF
our garden-crops. Those who have got
them under need not hereafter be severely
troubled with these pests, if they use the
proper means for prevention. These dry
seasons have also tended, in q great meas
ure, to ameliorate and to being our prai-
rie-soils into excellent mechanical condi.
ton.
Why? The soil, except in certain To-
calities, has not been so wet as to become
injured by plowing. The wise farmer
should profit by this lesson of Nature and
hereafter never plow his land when so wet
that it will not break in friable condition
from the mold-board of the plCw.
We believe one cause of the success of
ancient husbandry was from the fact that
their crude implements of culture would
notallow of plowing the soil except when
in friable state, and consequently in con-
dition. Herein lies fact that moderns
may profit by We have always believed,
have repeatedly so stated, and have salts
fled ourselves by its practice, tfiat in our
virgin Western soils, being principally
loans and humus clays, the want of me-
chanical condition-friability- greater
drawback to fertility than lack of manure
not that we underestimate the value of
manure, but here, again, manure acts both
mechanically, as divisor of the soil, as
we'll as chemically.
Our prairie soils-loam, muck and clay
when In virgin state are character
lied by granular state, which gives free
t1 tI,a oflr, ~,
prevents contraction and expansion Incl
dent to freezing and thawing and the al
formations of wet and dry condition.
Repeated STRINGS when out Of condition,
or plOwing such soils when wet, cause
them to become like vast mortar-beds, and
run together, and, drying again, they ac.
quire the solidity nearly of bricks. Such
soils stirred when wet combine into
smaller Jumps; and, once in this state,
nothing but the continued action of frost
can ever bring them again into condition.
Such soils also become more or less In
crusted when in good condition, after
rains, and require that this crust be
broken as soon as the land is sufficiently
dry, to reach the best results in tillage.
Those farmers who are in the habit of
keeping up strict rotation of crops are
seldom troubled with lumpy soils, or land
badly out of condition; for the judgment
necessary to keep the rotation intact as
nearly as possible enables them to see the
consequences attending the working of the
soil when wet; and the part Of the farm
kept in grass enables such portion TO re-
acquire a state somewhat similar to what
il was when In its natural state, before it
was touched by the plOwshaTe, or the fur
rows trodden by the feet of teams
One of the best means to keep heavy
soils in condition, or to bring them back
when out of condition, is fall blowing and
we hold it to be better to plant any crop
on this fall plowing without replowing
than to touch il when wet In the spring.
Land is always out of condition for plow-
ing when, the fresh earth being squeezed
in the hand, it.dOes not readily crumble
again, but retains the form given il by the
hand
If land is to be again plowed in the
spring we should advise plowing as soon
after harvest as possible. This serves a
twofold purpose: The weeds spring up
and are destroyed by the frost; and the
soil also has the benefit of the sun, and
air, and dew, to ameliorate il during the
autumn months. af.l
Prairie,soils are injured, not so much
by their wearing out us by their changed
mechanical condition incident TO bad
blowing and working the soils when wet.
We have already stated the peculiar struct-
ure Of our soils when in their natural
state and how they may measurably be
brought back again 10 this condition. In
allnew countries fertile soils are charac-
terized bya peculiar texture and condition
which enables the culdvator 10 produce