The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-20
Grange Go1Nmn.
Under the supcryisiaIa OF the Ixecativo
Committee oG ponons Grange.
Deep or ShnlLoW CnItnre.

famiiy'ng In every direction and filling
ule ground in search of food, it becomes
those who practice deep culture to pause
and consider whether that practice is
best, and give reason for their manner
OF cultivating. Whatever those reasons
may be, and however plausible, there is
not o. proposition connected with the
whole science Of agriculture more falla-
cious, or q practice more hurtful in its
effects, than deep culture. To contend
for deep culture is to ignore the very
frs, principles Of vegetable life. Roots
are the feeders Of the plant, through
which it receives those chemical elements
of the soil necessary to its growth and
development. Nature supplies these
feeders just as she furnishes arteries and
roins to the animal Organization, and
precisely for the same purpose. Not
root is ever put forth by plant that is
not necessary for the growth and matura.
tior of that pl 1T, and required during
its existence. Nature does no superflu.
ous work. The roots Of the forest oak,
that lives for an age, continues during
all this time to grow and ramiy-perme.
ating the soil, wide and deep, In evory
direction. The same fact holds in regard
TO minor plants-such as our annuals.
chat mature In cHe season. The little
sibrits that spring out as the seed yege-
iateS, continue to grow through the sea-
son, enlarging and extending themselves
to the utmost depth of the pulverized
soil. They ramify and spread themselves
in every possible direction, and complete.
ly occupy the soil. Cut these tender
6brits and you destroy what are destined
to be the main supporting roots OF the
plant during the season of fruiting. You
stun the plant, inAicting an injury from
which it does not recover.
Tune ia an important element with our
annual cultivated crops. The season of
growth Is short at best, and crops need to
be stimulated instead Of retarded. Tear.
ing and emitting the roots of O plant
arrests Its growth and shortens it's season
of maturation. Nature sets to work
afresh to repair damage done. This ri.
paration process consumes time, aud the
second growth of roots is much less Wig
arnrs slasa She original. Consequently,
the plant does not recover from the in
jury, and its crop of fruit is proportion.
ally shortened. The argument that
nature more thea compensates this loss
by tho multiplied number of roots put
forth I'm lien If the lncerated ones h,..
proves tine extent of the injury and tho
Importance Of time IN its reparatou.
What, then, do these facts teach us Ia
reference to the cultivation of field crops7
If corn and cotton require roots, why do
violence to the laws of nature by con.
stantly tearing them Off Nature is or
best guide. Assist, but never frustrats
hep dseissns, sa THE consiata the nnlice
of him who caitivates tho soil, as we'll as
tho true philosophy of life. This prin.
ciple holds in the vegetable as In animal
life. AS we dare not suTer On artery or
vein with the expectation of inyigorating
the !s"salth of an animal, so we must not
iaceFate tho roots of plant, expecting
to.promote its growth. In the one case
we debilitate the animal, and in the
otheF cripple the plnnt. In both we do
mi-"hief instead of good. The lesso..
taught us in this study of natures laws
in their application 10 vegetation is un.
mistakahly plain. The soil, properly en-.
riched and prepared, should be given to
the planted crop. Let It have undis.
turbed possession during its season of
growth and n.staration, that its roots
may thoroughly rermeate and occupy
tho soil They nre Eeeslin;s che pp!aa... III
is to produce the fruit, end ofttimes run
out to q considerable distance in search
of food. Let not the plough. in.
wade this domain to disturb this quiet
process Immature; ;ts business is on the
surface, attacking the grass and weeds
that may appear there. Having once
deeply subsoiled and pulverized the land.
it will need no more breaking during the
season. The roots Of the planted crop
will readily penetrate its depth, despite
the impacting effects of the heaviest
rains. 70 aubsoil again and again is
more than folly. No good can possibly
result, and q great deal Of harm will be
the inevitable consequence, for it is non.
aeiise 70 talk of pioughing corn, cotton
or any other crop deep without cutting
the roots. It cannot be done. The only
rational course left the planter, Who is,
disposed to observe the dictates OF na.f
ture in this regard 10 to adopt o syssom
of surface cultivation, merely keeping
under the grass and weeds and le.tingi
his crops grow. Hs can no moro make
his corn grow by cutting off its roots
than the surgeon can mako q wound
heal by constantly leaving it open. Ma
ture in both cases demands non-inter-
ference. She alone can mako q bale of
es.son or heal q wound, and her dictates
innonld pc the guide of all who expect
success.
There are other facts connected with
this subject thst should not ba overlooked
ID estimating the comparative advantages
of deeper shallow culture. These facts
resolve themselyes into the proposition,
thatsuFfacs euls,..., hrsha;;:is the n,ois.
tt.re Of the soil aud allows it to be appro-
priated by the growing crop, while deep
lcflE tire pr0fl1ofeB its arnreraffnn ana