The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-23
Stirring the Soil.


There are many farmers and garden
ers who seldom stir the soil about their
plants except when it is absolutely 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 development of all cultivated plants ;
and this is as much part of cultivation
as 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
endeavors to improve upon her ways of
doing things; consequently he plows,
sows, cultivates, 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 are usually
satisfied with what others would CON
slider half crop, and it is needless. to
say that they find farming 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 afterward. A single
blowing for wheat or other small grains
is not enough in order to break up and
thoroughly pulverize the soil, and al
though fair yield may be obtained
under such systems, a far better one
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 following
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
pulyerized, 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 album
dance to preserve the fertility, and for
this, rotation of crops must be practiced
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 failing he may rest assured that
change is necessary. Sometimes deeper
blowing will produce marked improve
ment in fertility, but the subsoil, il
brought to the surface, needs to be fully
aerated and pulverized before it will be
in good condition for the reception OF
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
part of the season; in fact, these opera
lions may be continued until the crop is
well on toward maturity. Every time
the pillow or cultivator is run through
the rows small weeds are DESTROYED.
Jumps broken up, and air and its &C.
companying moisture admitted. The
ground may he too wet for blowing OF
stirring with cultivators or hoes, but il
is never too dry, because the more FIRE.
quently these implements are used the
more moisture will the soil absorb from
the air. If any of our readers doubt
this, let them try small plat of ground
during dry weather, stirring the soil ev.
cry day, and leave an adjoining plat I'M
disturbed. The first will remain moist
and sporge-like long after the other is
as dry as dust. The same effect is pro.
duced in the frequently cultivated corn,
field, and a good crop can often be
made in dry season by the constant
use of the pillow and cultivator, when if
they are not used the plants would Ger.
tainly perish.
Many scientific reasons could be given
in addition to the above for stirring and
pulverizing the soil, but they all involve
the one simple fact that stirring it fire..
quently and thoroughly is extremely
beneficial to the crops growing thereon,
just how long or late the farmer should
continue the cultivation of his corn OF
potatoes is matter for him to decide,
but he need have no fear of doing such
crops harm as long as the roots are moi
destroyed by the implements used
among them, or the tops broken down
in the operation. The market gardeners
near all of our larger cities seem &c
understand the Importance of thorough
and almost constant stirring of the sol
about their plants; and whether there
are weeds or not, the hoes and cult
vators are kept going, and the enormous
crops raised show there is something in
the management of soil, as well as in
its natural or acquired fertilitV.-Ne2t