The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-01-28
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depth. This is only admissible when
the soil is deep, manure plenty, and
the crop to beiraised has long roots
such as carrots, parsnips, etc. When
manure is placed at too great depth
the roots are temp pied downward,
and both get beyond the genial infu-
ence of sun and air. 1t was formerly
supposed that trees and vines could
not be enriched too deeply, but the
vine dressers now tell us that the
roots of vines require surface heat,
and those vineyards are the most pro.
ductive in which the cultivation tends
to keep the roots from penetrating
too deeply into the soil. We are
satisfied, from our own observation
and the testimony of others, that the
best results are accomplished when
manure is thoroughly incorporated
with the surface SOIL 1t should be
remembered that by far the greater
part of all vegetation is derived from
hei..air, either directly through the
leaves and stems or by absorption in
the soil, and thence through the roots.
Only for inorganic matter do roots
penetrate deeply into the earth. Our
plan is to plow first, then spread on
the fertilizers and thoroughly incor-
porate them with the surface soil.
But the plow is only pioneer in
the business of pulverizing soil and
preparing it as seed bed. 1t must
be followed by the harrow and cult
vator, sometimes by the roller and
clod crusher, and there is as much
choice in these instruments as in
plows, and as much Judgment re-
quired in their use. 10 secure fine
tilth the narrowing and rolling, as
we'll as the blowing, must be done
when the land is not too wet, or the
surface will be compacted rather than
pulverized. With the old fashioned
triangular tooth harrow we have
known farmers to 60 over their land
so many times that the tread of the
horses and the driver did about
as much damage as the dull
teeth did good. On an inverted sod
the wheel-harrow answers good
purpose to cut up the sods and, if
followed by Shares harrow, with it's
dozen little plow shaped teeth, the
manure and soil are pretty thor
oughly pulverized and Incorporated
together. Too much stress cannot
be laid upon fining the manure and
mixing it with the SOIL Hard Jumps
OF manure are about as tough food
for plants as white oak cheese is for
man. Both need to be grated or
made fine in some way before thev
can be digested and assimilated.
Some use roller and others a bush
harrow for breaking clods and smooth
ing land. The former presses the
Jumps into the soil, and the latter
slicks the surface much. as a soft
brush slicks over silk hat
but something more effective
than either is often required for MAX
ing good seed bed. The Indiana
drag breaks up Jumps nicely. This
is made of three or four sticks of |
timber, some five feet long, sawed in
the form of triangular prisms and
spiked to as many cross bars. These
drags require pretty strong team,
but they do good work, crushing
Jumps much better thar a roller or a
stone boat The triangular shape of
the sticks prevents them from push
ing the Jumps along, while they act
as so many wedges in splitting and !
crushing them. We would not be
understood as objecting to the roller
and brush. These put on the finish.
ing touches, but are not worth much
for breaking hard, clay Jumps. The
brush is particularly useful for max.
ing smooth, friable surface, and for
covering small grass seeds. These
should never be covered by harrow.
This puts half of them where they
will never see life orlight again. In.
deed, If we can SOW grass seed just
before shower we do not care to
cover them at all, as the scattering of
the rain will give them all the COW
ering they need. More grass seed is
lost by too much than too little
depth of earth. A brush, made of
stout thorn bushes, does good work
in pulverizing an ordinarily friable