The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-01-28

greeihorn thinks he can do it as well
as the next man. But plowing is an
art which requires a good eye and 10
little skill. As to the question of fiat
or Tapped burrows, we have no doubt
that the Scotch neighbors of our COR
respondent are, as a general rule,
right, On all clay and loamy lands
tapping the burrows not only keeps
some Of the best soil near the sur.
face, but hghtens, pulverizes. aerates,
and drains the whole much better
than q perfect immersion of the sod
does. When the turrows lap on each
other, shingle fashion, there is space
between them which allows the free
circulation of air and moisture, which
is just what clay and, clay loan need.
Sandy and gravelly soils are easily
pulverized. and aeration aud drainage
are not their great necessity, but,
even on rich lands, we prefer to lap
the burrows, as the surface and sub
soils are thus more intimately mixed.
If one has plenty of compost to top
dress his lands after they are plowed,
| he may be justified in turning a fiat
furrow on sandy lands, as he will thus
put organic matter whereit is wanted,
and still not rob the surface or much
hinder the aeration and pulverization.
! No general rule can be laid down
as to the depth to which the plow
should run. Seven or even six inches
| on some lands might bring up sub
soil that would damage the crop I'M
less tertilized artifcially more than
most farmers can afford. Deep plow-
ing is not so fashionable nowadays as
it was score Of years ago. The re-
action is probably owing to the fact
that many who tried deep furrow
did not manure sufficiently to counter.
act the injurious effects Of the barren
subsoil that was thus brought to the
surface. Green manure was also
often spread on the surface and
pl0wed under SO deep as TO be be
yond the immediate decomposine
influence OF heat, air, and moisture.
Of course, it did little good till the
land was plowed, and the manure
brought up nearer the surface and in
corporated with the soil, for it is a
mistake to suppose, as many do, that
plants can feed on lumpy, undecom
posed manure. 1t is justas essential that
manure should be pnlverized as that
the soil should be. We have never
lost our faith in deep blowing when
the soil and manure were rightly
manipulated. All lands should not.
however, be plowed to the same
depth. Strong clay loans require a
much deeper turow than light sandy
soils, and whenever it is desired to
deepen any soil it should be done
gradually. No more subsoil should
be brought up at any one time than /
can be thoroughly enriched and in
corporated with the surface loan.
To exchange this loan for barren
/ subsoil, without fertilizing and pull
verizing the latter, is exchanging pro-
ductive tor non-productive capital.
Judicious blowing is better than deep
blowing. Whether. the plow pulver-
ICES clay soils depends much on the
condition of the land when plowed.
Turning out clay sod and exposing
it to the sun when it is full of water,
so far from pulverizing it, tends to
make it hard and lumpy. The sun
and wind operate upon it much as
they do on nodded brick. The Jumps
are baked so hard that it is almost
impossible to pulverize them. A har-
row makes little impression upon
them, and roller simply presses
them into the soil. We have known
clay loans rendered almost worthless
by being plowed when too wet. 1t
is only by the action of ftime and frost
that they can be restored to their or
iginal tilth. If farmer wishes to
get his crop in early on clay soils he
must first put some drain tile under
them, when they can be plowed al
most as early as sandy lands, and
will pulverize almost asiwell. Other
wise, he must plow in the autumn,
let the frost do its mission in pulver.
izing, and wait IN the spring the slow
action Of the sun and winds in evap-
Grating the superhuous moisture.
While on this point OF deep plowing
we desire to say that it is seldom de-
sirahle tn nlow in manure tn a eyraot