Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-07-09
Stirring the Soil.

Stirring the Soil.
There are many farmers and garden
ers who seldom stir the soil about their
plants except when it is ab olutely nee
essary for the purpose of destroying
weeds. Aeration, or exposure OF the
soil to the action Of the air, is often Of
much importance, in order to secure a
full developments of all cultivated plants;
and this is as much part of cultivation
rs the subduing of weeds. The hus-
bandman is not satisfied even with a
natural growth of cultivated plants, but
seeks an abnormal growth in the whole
or in those parts of plants designed for
his use or that of his animals. He does
not, strictly speaking, follow nature, but
endeayors to improve upon her ways of
doing things; consequently he plows,
sows, cultiyates, and forces plants to
make an abnormal growth We have
known farmers who appeared to'think
that the less blowing, hoeing, and stir
ring the soil about plants the better,
provided fair return was secured for
their labor But such men IRE usually
satisfied with what others would con-
slider half crop, and it is needless to
say that they find farming a poor bust
ness.
The best and most thorough farmers
do not stir the soil too much or too often,
either in preparing it for the reception
! of the crops or aiterWard. A single
4 blowing for wheat or other small grains
is not enough in order to break MP and
thoroughly pulyGriZe the soil, and al
though a fair yield may be obtained
would be secured if the ground was
turned over two or three times, and af-
ter each blowing thoroughly narrowed.
The old system of summer ALLOWING
land, when thoroughly carried out, can
scarcely be improved upon in preparing
land for either winter or spring wheat.
BY blowing two or three times during
the summer, and narrowing after each
turning, not only is the soil mixed and
pulvcrized, but the weeds also are de-
stroyed which usually spring up when
the fresh soil with its seeds is brought
to the surface. OF course, land
may be constantly cropped without rest,
provided it be kept rich by the addition
of fertilizers, but there are few farmers
who can supply these in sufficient Gbun-
dance to preserve the fertility, and for
this, rotation of crops must be prac.ice
or the land rested. Whatever system
of cultivation is practiced, the farmer
should manage to keep up the fertility
of his land, and whenever he finds his
crops falling he may rest assured that a
change Unnecessary. Sometimes deeper
blowing will produce marked improve
ment in fertility, but the subsoil, il
: brought to the surface, needs to be fully
, aeratel and pulyerize1 before twill be
in good condition for the reception of
e seeds.
In the cultivation of corn, potatoes
and similar crops, stirring the soil
= among the plants can scarcely be re.
peated too frequently during the early
t part of the season; in fact, these opera
5 lions may be continued until the crop i,
, well on toward maturity. Every time
| the pillow or cultivltor is run through
the rows small weeds are destroyed
Jumps broken up, and air and its ac.
| companying moisture admitted. The
ground may be too wet for blowing OF
} stirring with cultivators or hoes, but il
: is never too dry, because the more fire.
y quently these implements are used th'
Y more moisture will the soil absorb from
u the air. If any of our readers doub
= this, let them try q small plat of grouuC
/. during dry weather, stirring the soil ey
t cry day, and leave an adjoining plat IN
t disturbed. The first will remain mois
/ and spoEge-like long after the other i
D as dry rs dust. The same effect IS pro
i duced in the frequently cultivated corn
). field, and II good crop can ofen b.
, made in n dry season by the constan
g use of the pillow and cultiyalor, when i
G they are not used the plants would Ger
/ tainly perish.
,. Many scientific reasons could be giyel
= in addition to the above for stirring ami
- pulverizing the soil, but they all involv
d the one simple fact that stirring it fire.
qucntly and thoroughly is eXtremcl
&c beneficial to the crops growing thereon
/, just how long or late tlls farmer shout
continue the cultivation of his c nj O
- potatoes is matter for him to.deuido
- Dul ne HC0u ltdNt AO tC1t va H'lhS SUE
IS crops harm as long as the roots are uo
n destroyed by the implements use
20 among them, or the tops broken dow
|, in the operation. The marke. gardener
! near all of our larger cities seomct
J., understand the Importance Of thogoug
<. and almost constant stirring OF the So
d about their plants; aud whether thcr
n are Efels or not, the hoe, and cult
t vators are kept going, and the cuormon
crops raised show there is something /
N the management Of soil, as well II, !
e, its natural or acquired fertility.-Ne
y York sun.
n In the cemetery of Pera Ia Chaise