Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-01-29

scanty supply OF moisture, unuer ho'
summers sun, and rendering it inn
peryious 10 the roots of plants. Ifua
drought succeeds, soil in such state
can. Afford but meagre supply Of
moisture to nourish crop; and alta
period, too, when the greatest amount
is needed. Nearly all plants imbibe
mere or less moisture from the earth by
their roots; and if this support is
withheld they cannot continue In a
healthy and vigorous state {: indeed SO
necessary is this element that many OF
our grass seeds and plants will not only
yegetate, but grow vigorously for a
considerable period, with no other sup
port to their roots than what can be
derived from pure water.
am confident that in most of our
lands that have become sterile the cause
is 10 be attributed more TO Shallo,o
blowing, and Washing aaoay of the little
soil they posses e than to the extraction
OF the vegetable nutriment, by the
growth OF plants; in fact, it is almost a
necessary consequence OF this perniclous
practice. If the toiling farmer or planter
IS able to purchase dressing Of mineral
manure. or fortunate enough TO scrape
together canty supply Of vegetable
matter from theresourccs Of the farm
a large portion of it is carried of by the
first dashing rain, TO enrich still more
the beds of creeks and rirers.
Having stareo some Of Disadvantages
which attend shallow plowlng, we will
now briefly enumerate some of the ad
vantages OF deep blowing when judlci-
ously pursued.
In the successful cultivation OF all our
crops it Is necessary that ample food be
provided, and in an accessible form; and
that moisture. equally necessary be
administered, in neither too great nor
too small quantities. This will
probably be admittedly all, and i
Is presumed the admission will also
be made that the greatest amount
of--nourishment deiiyed by all our
field crops is from the earth. BY
deep blowing 1t rarely occurs that a TALL
of rain is so great or sndden as COM
pletely to soturdte the body ofearth acted
on by the pillow; and until such IS the
case but little danger is to be apprehen-
ded of washing away" and just as
little that the plants will soon require
renewal Of moisture, caused BY evapora-
ton. The soil much longer retains its
loose and friable texture, and enables
the roots readily to extend in all dlroc-
tons. in search of their appropriate
uourishment; for the same reason, deep
filth adults of closer proximity OF the
plants, without sustaining equal injury
from drought, and turning yellow; or
firing, IN common parlance.
Iwould ask the advocates of shallow
blowing, or the skinning system, as 1t
has been aptly termed, if they have not
observed the beneficial effects Of earths
taken out Of cellars, wells, pits, &C.,
when applied to very poor land? And
have they not observed a luxuriant
growth of grass and weeds on ditch
banks and mlll-races, even to the high
est points, when level enough to retain
the moisture that falls? 1 have often
noticed such effects; and have almost
uni formly observed, that if earth thus
taken from below the surface was
capable of being pulverized by frost or
tillace, increased fertility was the result.
Such being the case, is there any valid
reason for supposing. that still nearer
the surface, so much difference can eX-
list, that while one will render the same
land sterile the other will positively en-
rich il? If advantage will result from
mixing with the soil, the earth taken
from many feet below the surface-and
that such is the case l have had repea-
ted evidence, and using it fer this ex-
press object-I cannot perceive why a
portion of the same fertilzing property
NAV not be found IN the earth, only a
few inches or foot below the surface.
And last, though not least, In the
catalogue OF advantages, the all-im-
portant item of manure isrcndered more
available /; and consequently the land
is both Immediately and permanently
benefited.
But deep blowing alone, much as it
is advocated, will not speedily make
poor land rich. 1t also requires some
judgment when and 10 what extent it
should be carried. Lands that are to
be plowed much deeper than usual
should be broken up in the fall; no crop
should be seeded the ensuing season
that does not admit OF frequent plow-
ing or narrowing; andif PRACTICABLE
give il dressing before planting, Gun
less previously prepared for the opera
ton, by lining year or two in adj
vance, } oflime or some other kind Of
manure.
These two branches, viz: draining
and blowing, are considered important
in the system OF renovation, and more
might be added but perhaps sufficient
space has been devoted to them, with
the further remark, that NO land with
clay subsoil should be plowed either
deep or shallow when in a state too