The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-24
FARM TOPICS.


The Need OF Undertaking.
farmer must first If all be convinced
that his land needs IL. This in general
he j. not disposed 10 believe. a. il seems
10 be dry, and at the surface il usually
is. But upon examination it i found
that the water line i often but a little
below, and that il drops very slowly,
taking nearly 4 whole season 10 yet well
out II the tiIlable soil, at least with a
very large proportion If land, especially
clay. When blowing such land, al
though il may seem dry. it will often
turn up wet. and especially in spring:
and we know the effect Of wet clay when
dried by the sun II i baked hard, and
in this condition takes long time 70
reduce il to friable state. When
plowed in the fall-late. as il should be
% prevent grass and weeds from start
ing--it j. usually still more wet. and the
rains and SHOWS will pack il, and in the
spring it will be wet and tough, and if
left till dry viii be hard. and late in the
season before it can be worked.
Now there is much land of this de-
scription. II j. not only difficult to
manage, but impossible to get in good
condition in some seasons. Hence,
light crops, and, in wet seasons, a fail
urc. A drouth hardens and cracks il Mt
the surface. Winter grain is lifted out
in the spring: clover the same, and sol >
grass to some extent. Ii is unfit for
corn and for barley, and will only pro-
duce oats and buckwheat and other
coarse crops, and these, as rule, not
prcfitably. Even in the best Of seasons,
like the two last. superior crops can not
be expected. And from year to year
this goes on. Such land, therefore, il
damage. Farms wholly composed Of it
would not pay; and we sometimes meet
with such, usually changing ownership
often, taking from each without benefit
ing the land, but on the contrary reduc-
ing il, as il is in such condition that
the more il j. worked the worse il be-
comes.
Now, il has been proved, and l. con-
stantly shown. that to undcrdrain this
soil j. to cure it, II will not only bene-
fit il, but completely change 1t, and
make highly profitable soil out Of it,
one that will work easily, and that can
be worked at almost any time and be
mellow, with no more excess Of water
or frost to annoy. Only those who have
uiderdrained such land know how much
earlier in the spring II can be worked,
and a this is 30 every spring, 1t Is there
fore constant benefit. The land Is not
only worked several weeks earlier, but
1t works mellow (is left mellow by the
frost If fall-plowed), the spring rains
which follow having lost their effect Of
hardening the ground, with little dan
ger Of rotting the seed. This last Is
another great point. So in the fall the
land can be plowed late without harm,
in the average season. There will be no
spring heaving 10 fear. The grasses
may now be grown 70 advantage. The
heritage will be sweet and nutritious,
and with manure, can be made luxuri-
ant, especially timothy, which revels in
drained clay. Wheat now also finds
home here, from which il was excluded
by the wet, with little to fear from the
weather.. Indeed there are few il any
soils cqua, to well drained clay, II not
too heavy. II j. soil that Is lasting,
and takes manure better than any other
holding ii better-and from lis semi
compactness rctarding the sinking Of
the nitrates, 50 that manure in such soil
l. increased in value. There is also fer
tility, heretofore locked up, that now
becomes liberated through the action Of
the warm rains and air that penetrate
the whole mass.
We, therefore, have great advan-
tage If we choose. II Is 80 great that il
becomes the leading one, changing the
land AT once and increasing its product
ivcness 30 that il will pay the expense in
two or three years. Two hay crops
in one season have done this, and with
care in management can be made 70
do II in Ill or nearly all eases. Clover
will DO II still more readily. Winter
wheat not infrequently does IL in a sin
gle crop, and never exceeds two if'fair
treatment be given. There Is now no
heavings ont, and the yield i much
heavier, with = plnmpcr byry and a
brighter straw. BY putting spring grain
n earlV which may upw ~ dane and