Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-02-17
FARM AND GRANGE.
SHALLOW FLOWING FOR CORN.

ment on small potatoes for planting;
and yet overlook all the essential
features thut involved the pith and
marrow of the case. 1t is really the
strength of the eyes and not the
size of the potato. We have now
a similar discussion going on as to
the depth that corn-ground should
be plowed; and just in the same
way the real point Of the whole
matter is entirely lost sight Of.
The case seems to have started
through some experiments made at
the Experimental farm at West
Grove a piece Of sod was turned
down in the spring four inches
deep; another piece ten inches
deep. Both we're planted with corn
aud treated in every respect the
same; but the shallow blowing gave
the best results. OF course it did,
and why? Because, say the news
papers, it was shallow plowed.-
But this is only putting the cart
before the horse. The shallow
blowing only accomplished some
thing else in this particular case,
and not the shallow blowing, that
did the business. If the same
pieces are planted this year, and
corn again planted, and other feat
ures of culture remain exactly the
same, we will undertake TO say
that the ten-inch blowing will come
out ahead.
We have here in fact the old, old
story of deep and shallow blowing
brought up again in a new form, as
it does come up from time to time.
The last we heard from it to any
great degree of interest was in dear
old Horace Greeley's time. He
told us what he knew of farming;
and all he knew was to pillow deep.
He had seen good crops from deep
blowing; but he had never thought
very deeply about it. To "plow
deep was the watchword with
him. But when those Saiemites of
New Jersey challenged him to come
down there and pillow deep, while
they would pillow shallow and beat
him, the dear old soul could look
on it as a mere game of blue and
no more. Yet those who have been
practically engaged in agriculture
all their lives, and have given
thought to the manner in which
their occupations work, can readily
understand why shallow blowing
may often beat deep blowing, and
vet the deep blowing as a general
principle be entirely proper and
correct.
Let us take this corn case Every
,one knows how well a crop OF corn
will turn off from a piece OF old
, sod; and it does so because the rot
ten roots and vegetable matter IN
the sod forms the very best food
possible to the young corn plant.
When this is turned down four
= inches the youRg plant can soon
get to work at the great business
OF its life, eating, growing, but at
ten inches it is quite another mat
ter. 1t is a long time before they
find it; and when they do, it is not
as available as when near the sur
face, for though many of the max
inns of the agricultural chemists
have come to naught that one
which tells that q free supply OF
oxygen is necessary to put decay
ing vegetable matter in shape for
nutrition is more and more true
every day. All good agriculturists
therefore, keep manure as near the
surface as possible, and would never
think Of burying it ten inchesdeep
for little Seeding plants like corn
to- find. If the same ground is
plowed deed again next year, and
the half rotten sod brought to the
surface, and the corn again planted.
the deep-growing will have the best
oft. The earth will be just where
81 it can do the most good, at a time
when the seed is sprouting, when
of all seasons q good send off to
the young seed is most needed.
So it was as we all remember in
Horace G~reeley's case. When the
New Jersey folks plougded deep
the little shallow surface soil, all
that there was good was sent away
out Of sight and out of view Of the
plant. The crop put into the poor
lower strata brought to the top
was of course at a temporary dis
advantage, 1t was not a contest
between poverty and riches; and
so 1t is in the case of the corn re
ferred to.
And yet all these discussions GO
on, as if people had never, learned
anything; as if every WRITER thought
that on him devolved the response