New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-04-14
Treatment Of Clay Sells.

w uOl1G NON0Gh 1ZU.
1865
Treatment q Clay Sells.
SoME farmers have pe1udicsR
against clay soils. Some haze even de-
c1ared that they would not take day
farm as gift. Such an extreme preju-
dice may be excused when It is consid-
cred how difficult it is tOwork clay
soil well, that is, with ease and profit.
Clay land in a wet season must lie un-
touched, while the light-lan farmer
whistles light-heartedly behind his plow,
In a dry season the clay turns up in
Jumps which are rs refractory, for the
time being. as granite blocks. It is to
Obviate these extreme conditions that
the skill of the clay land farmer needs
to be directed in season. For, in no
other case is forehandedness and readi-
ness SO necessary as in farming clay
soil. IF blowing is neglected until the
land is covered or soaked with water,
the pillow must necessarily remain idle,
for to pillow wet, heavy soil is to ruin
its texture for years. A clay soil that
is fall-plowed and only remains to be
narrowed and sown in the spring may
be put under crop in good season when
otherwise it could not. The prepara-
ton Of clay land, then, at this season is
of great Importance to every owner of
that kind of a farm. At this late sea-
son the blowing Of heavy land should
go forward as rapidly as possible. It
should be done, too, SO as to expose as
much of the soil to the effects of the
winter weather as may be practicable.
and to preserve it from the injurious
and delaying effects of a possible wet
spring. It should also be made tho
means of improving the fertility of the
soil as well as its mechanical condition
by bringing up q small portion of fresh
soil from below, and each year grad
ually deepening it. This cannot safely
be done in the spring and only in the
fall, for several reasons.
In blowing heavy land the burrows
should be turned nearly on edge or lap
ping very little, SO that the contour Of
the surface should present q number of
small angular ridges. It should be
done in lands directed down the slope
of the field, with open burrows between
them, or if plowed with swivel
pillow, so as to make but one land, half
the burrows lying in each direction,
which is an excellent method; then
water-furrows should be made down
the slopes before the field is left, lest it
may be afterward neglected. Ridging
land is fashion that is obsolete, be-
cause incOnvenient in these days Of
reapers and mowers. The level pillow.
ing of field is to be recommended.
This is done with the swivel-plow, and
the oldfashioned side-hill pillow after all
does better work than any of the new
fashioned heavy pretentious ones made
to perform the work. 1t is done in the
following manner: An open furrow is
made through the middle of the field.
This is then closed by two bouts, and
back furrow is made where the open
furrow was previously. This insures
the blowing of the ground and avoids
the leaving of strip unplowed and
only covered with soil thrown upon il.
The swivel-plow is then run back and
forth, each horse alternately in the fur
row, until one-half of the field is plowed
up to eight or ten feet from the fence,
when the other half is plowed in the
same manner. The field is finished by
blowing head-land all around it up to
the fence. No other manner of blowing
is SO neat or gives such finished APP
pearance to field rs this. The water
burrows should be made to carry off all
the water that may fall on the land, and
to this end should pass through each
hollow and down to the lowest ground.
After having been plowed out, the fur
rows should be trimmed with a round
pointed shovel to insure the complete
flowing off of the water. On the man.
ner in which this is done will depend
the practicability of early narrowing
and fitting the ground in the spring.
Clay soil is usually rich ID the ele-
ments OF fertility. but in an undeveloped
condition. Salt and lime have more
active effect upon clay soils than upon
sandy lands. Clay is usually rich in
potash, because it consists of the debris
OF feldspathic, micaceous, or trap rocks,
which contain much of this alkali in
combination. To dissolve the fine
particles, or disintegrate the larger
ones of such soil, is to enrich it in
potash. Potash, again, in its turn
helps to disorganize vegetable matter
in the soil. and this decomposition
again, which is attended by the release
of carbonic acid, helps to release more
potash, and also lime, from the CLAW.
Therefore the fall blowing Of clay land,
as well as the deeper blowing of it. by
which new soil is brought up, tends
greatly to its enrichment, the more SO,
as it is left in more open and lumpv
condition, that the frosts, rains and
suns heat may break it up, mellow it,
and decompose it. But, further, as the
presence of manure in the soil is known
to act and react, as has been pointed
out, with great effect, liberal top
dressing at this season upon the plowed
ground-or plowed in, if the ground is
to be cross-plowed in the spring, but
not otherwise--will be of much greater
benefit than if given in the spring. Loss
of fertilizing matter need not be feared.
That is proved a veritable bugbear,
having no reality. The soil will take it
all in and hold it ready for Immediate
use, when sown OF planted. Finally, il
clay land is wet in the bottom, not all
the skill or labor that may be bestowed
upon it will avail without drainage.
This is imperative. The water must be
removed. And if this is to be don
there is no season better for it than
present N y Times.
Why Gambetta Broke His Engagement.
: GAMBETrA is bachelor; but he has
not lived SO long without having at
least contemplated marriage. The
story of his engagement to an heiress
in Western France, and its sudden
breaking off, give us fresh glimpse of
his character. From the time of his
leaving his humble home at Cahors, till
his rise to the highest rank Of public
Gambetta lived with
faithful lovinoe doxnfad amt uhr. had