Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-06-06
AGRICULTURAL.

PREPARING GROUND FOR Corn Sue
cess in the cultivation of all crops de-
pends very largely upon the preparation
49, OF the soil, both as 10 its fertility and
mechanical condition, and besides the
ease of future cultivation depends also
upon the same. There are certain con-
ditions that operate TO affect the putting
OF a soil in the best mechanical condi-
tion, such as its natural fertility, its
freedom from stones. stumps, or other
obstacles to cultivation, or the mode OF
previous cultivation. There. are advo-
Gates of shallow plowing, this may be
necessary and even desirable in an ex-
tremely thin soil, for tfereason that il
would be poor econolny to turn up a
great depth of subsOh that has not pre-
yiously been properly exposed TO the
-r sun and atmosphere and its beneficial
influences. But where there is fertility
deep plowing loosens the strata of
earth so that not only can the moisture
be absorbed and retained, but the roots
OF the plant can much more easily pene-
trate in search of both moisture and
food.
There is no doubt whatever upon the
point of advantage in case of droath
of deep blowing over shallow, and no
case now comes TO mind in which injury
has resulted from such course, even in
moist or very wet weather. Therefore
4
such a course may insure safety
against failure from drouth, and can re-
suit in no injury 10 the growing crop,
rather than TO pursue a course that may
result in the entire destruction of the
same. great point is the thorough
pulveriZation of the soil; without it
there is no certainty of even reasonable
success. and in a soil inclined TO mois-
ture nothing is gained by attempting TO
hurry the plowing too soon in the
spring, for in that case the soil is only
turned over TO become baked and hard,
with Jumps that will continue through
out the season unless special effort is
made to reduce them, in which condi-
tiOn IL is unavailable as plant food.
Again, rocks, stones and stumps fire.
quently present difficulties in the way
of pulveriZing q soil in so thorough a
manner as would be desirable; but
these, by the exercise ofa little patience,
perseverance and muscular effort, can
be removed, which is also necessary for
the successful use OF the moving ma
chine and other labor-saving Imple-
ments. An obstacle to deep plOwing
Is frequen ly found in the close proX-
unity of a very firm subsoil that has
been undisturbed in consequence OF
previous shallow culture. This is very
nearly the same with a shallow soil
it requires gradual breaking up and
reducing to avoid i'll effects. With re-
gard TO the application OF fertilizers,
the old idea of the necessity of plowing
il in is rapidly losing ground; with the
assistance of falling rains that descend
into the earth, it is believed that there
is no difficulty in disseminating all the
fertility necessary in the lower soil,
rather than 10 plOw it in where its ten
dency will be to descend still lower.
After the ground is carefully plowed,
let the manure or fertilizer desired be
evenly spread upon the surface and
then thoroughly narrowed in. a dou-
bic advantage is gained thereby; in the
first place, the fer tilizer Is where
ii will come in contact with the young
q roots, and the soluble portions of which
will be carried downward by means of
rains, and in the second place, by
means of the narrowing net essaTy TO
incorporate it with the soil, il is greatly
improving its mechanical condition,
pulverizing it very largely, which is
always beneficial 10 any soil. Another
point, where the soil is properly pre-
pared, the labor necessary in cultivation
is greatly reduced. In this view of the
subject is it not better for farmers to
prepare their grounds properly?