Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-07-09
4 DRY WEATHER LESSON


In the early spring, it is found necessary
to the healthy growth of field and garden
crops, that the ground be well stirred and
lightened up, so that the warm air may enter
it and fit it for the feeding ground Of the va
rious plants we cultivate. Our improved
ploughs and hhrrows have been designed for
this very work-that of mellowing and pull
vorizing the soil, and some Of them have
been found to work pretty close to our high
est ideal of perfection. After field has lain
through the winter under q heavy bed Of
snow, or has been beaten upon and compact
| ed by repeated storms of rain, the soil often
becomes, especially il somewhat clayey, very
solid and compact. Perennial plants and
trees can thrive in such soils, because they
have the power stored up for forcing their
roots between the particles of earth which lie
| so compactly together but the tender roots of
our annual plants require, for their perfect
| Development very different seed bed. So
in early spring il is good farming to make
| the soil light and mellow, SO that the suns
heat may the more readily enter and warm it
! up, for no seed can terminate without due
amount of heat as well as moisture. In early
| spring, moisture is usually abundant, often
| over-abundant, while the temperature is low.
But how is it in midsummer, particularly in
! a summer like the present, when the sun
scure nor showers to refreshy This condi-
ton is probably not general throughout the
! country, for we receive reports of fine grow
| ing weather in various localities, but in GER
| tain sections the crops are suffering very Sc
| verely, especially those which are late plant
! ed, or which require frequent rains for their
healthy development. A great deal of COM
plant is heard of seeds failing to terminate,
and of plants perishing after transplanting
| oil 10, Ill -
term is generally understood, is dried thor
oughly to a depth that renders plant growth
possible only TO very limited and unsatis-
factory extent. We have been taught in
years past that the soil in time of drought
should be frequently and deeply stirred so
that it can absorb moisture from the air and
readily drink in the morning dew But when
week after week passes with little or no dew
falling or rising as the case may be, and
when the atmosphere is so constantly drying
in its effects that every piece of woodwork
shrinks and threatens to fall to pieces, it does
look a little discouraging to run the cultivator
between the rows, turning up little moist
dirt from deep down in the soil only to be
dried to ashes like that which has already
been cultivated and re-cultivated.
Last year Mr.. Henderson wrote an article
for the American Agriculturist, which was
very generally copied by the agricultural
press, in favor of 'frmng the soil" in sea
sons of drought, and We doubt not that thous-
ands of those who read the article have prof
tied by its teachings. We have had several
illustrations of the advantage of hrming the
soil brought to our notice the present season.
When the planter drops his seeds in hill or
drill and after covering with a sufficient
depth of soil, brings his hoe down with a
vigorous pat" he does it, consciously or
otherwise, to firm tie soil. When oats, rye,
wheat, barley or grass seeds are sown in
spring, and the roller is used there is a dou-
BILE object first to level the surface and leave
it in good shape for the scythe or moving
machine, and second to firm the soil so the
seeds will be able to absorb moisture sufli-
cent for termination But in midsummer,
after the ground has been dried down sever
al inches by cultivation, the frming of the
soil becomes of the first importance in pre-
pairing or finishing of a seed bed. With fire.
quent showers the soil becomes moist from
above, but in seasons of drought the mos-
ture must all come from below, and if the
soil is rendered so light and porous, the part-
icles SO thoroughly separated from each 9th
er that they are like leaky water pipes and
cannot carry, then vegetation has a hard
time of il.
While visiting the farm of Mr.. Thompson
of Hopkinton, we were shown line through
the beet field, on one side of which the plants
stood thick and even, while on the other the
beet plants were very scattering, while in be-
tween was another crop which had come up
later. This difference was all caused by
delay in planting the latter portion after the
ground was prepared. The planting was
commenced Saturday, and all the seed plant
ed that day came up well, but the remainder
"a, q l.. ii Ill
| been exposed to twelve hours of scorching
sunshine, which dried the surface down as
low as the seeds were planted, came up very
irregularly, the majority only appearing after
a shower that came subsequently. The same
effect must have been noticed in thousands
of gardens where the seeds planted early,
and at the time of preparation, came up well,
but when those put in later in hills or drills,
previously prepared, have utterly failed.
Potatoes and corn planted on stable ma
nure, dropped in the hill, have come up
| poorly, simply because both manure and soil
have been too dry to be firm and compact
enough to receive moisture from below
through capillary attraction. Other fields
| planted without manure in the hills, but
| spread broadcast, have their rows unbroken.
A three-acre cornfield of our own, after a
crop of winter rye cut for fodder came up
|
the seed, the soil being rolled down very
firmly with heavy iron roller, run twice ov-
er the ground, while another field that was
not rolled came up very poorly.
The lesson that such season of drought
seems to teach is, that having prepared our
cultivated fields in early spring by sufficient
ly deep blowing aud thorough pulverizaton,
and having cultivated subsequently, sufficient
to kill the weeds, We had better let the sur
face alone Mt all times when stirring it would
render it drier than before. And that late
planted seeds, whether in field or garden,
must have a seed bed prepared with regard to
securing moisture as well as heat The more
frequent use of the roller will tend to keep
the moisture in in midsummer as in spring
stirring the soil helps to dry out this surplus
moisture. Competing n loose soil appears
to prevent an undue circulation of drying all
through it.-Ne0 England Farmer.
Points I'm Poultry.
At a late meeting of the Lancaster, Penn.
4 I I IA =