Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-18
Effects Of Deep TIIlage.

More and more the tendency among
farmers IN this section is to plow shall
low for corn. The old rule,
"Plow deep while sluggards sleep,
And you shall have corn to sell and to keep"
has been decidedly modified, and has
lost some of its rhythm. Five, or five
and ene-half inches are usually deep
enough. Corn loves warm soil, and
the surface is always warmest. In
May or June the young corn needs all
the heat it can get. If cold subsoil is
turned up, the plant will be stunted,
and never after recover the lost time.
Flowing shallow retains the surface
heat, and in this warm seed bed the
grain terminates quickly. The objec-
tons to deep blowing do not apply to
subsoiling. as that only loosens instead
ofupturning the under strata; but in
early spring farmers are usually in too
much of a hurry to get their crops
planted to afford time for subsoiling.
Besides, for corn this deep tillage can
generally be more profitably applied
after the crop is planted. Deep cult
walton, which will pulverize the subsoil
even below the ftrrow bottom, will do
much to retain moisture, admit light
and warmth, prevent the effects Of
drouth and insure vigorous growth.
Applying the green manure to the corn
crop, and blowing it under a shallow
furrow, is the way most good farmers
dispose Of it, but unless the cultivation
is deep enough and thorough enough to
mix the manure with the soil, 1T will
depend much on the season how much
good it will do the crop. Where a sod
has been plowed under: and especially
an old sod, this deep culture cannot be
commenced until the June grass and
other grasses have partly decayed.
Begin to cultivate shallow, taking care
not to turn up any sod. In very few
days this cultivation will set the sod to
rotting, and no farther trouble need be
feared. where the sod is mostly clov-
er, it decays almost as soon as turned
under, and begins to furnish heat as
well as food for the growing crop.
Farmers sometimes object that this
deep culture cuts off the roots of the
corn. Until the crop is nearly ready to
form, this is not serious difficulty. In
rich, warm, moist soils the young plant
forms roots very rapidly, and whenever
a root is severed by cultivation a dozen
rootlets with innumerable feeding
mouths start from the cut. Of course
there are limits to the root pruning
which may proftably pe applied, bat 1
am satisfied that part at least of the
advantages of frequent culture of corn
consists in cutting Off the roots of rapid
ly growing corn and thereby increasing
the number of feeding mouths. If the
soil were poor and the corn stunted in
growth, this advantage would not be
found but on good corn land there can
be little doubt it. Especially is this
the fact where the cultivator incorporates
rotting manure and sods with the
soil, as thorough tillage makes them
decay much more rapidly.
PloW shallow and cultivate as deeply
as possible afterwards, should be the
rule on heavy or clayey soils. The corn
crop thus gets the benefit of extra
warmth early in the season, and in
July and August all the advantages of
deep tillage. Cultivation may be con-
tinued up to the time the corn is caring,
taking care each time to draw ir the
cultiyator teeth, so as not to sever only
the outer row of roots. After corn is
cared, it is unsafe to cultivate much, as
the drain on the plant to form seed
detracts from its ability to push out new
roots. If severe drouth comes Just at
this time it will be apt to shorten the
crop--if two many of the roots are cut
of. A single long narrow tooth run
ming deeply in the centre Of the row will
benefit the crop even at this time. OF
the benefit of this deep and thorough
cultivation on after crops, there can be
no doubt whatever. 1t is shown quite
as plainly in the barley crop next sea-
son as in the corn itself.
W. J. F.