St. Landry democrat., 1881-11-12
When and How to Speed the Pillow.

localities must DC met, therefore detln-
lite rules can hardly be laid down by
which to govern the matter under all
circumstances, but each field must be
considered by itself and broken up at a
season and in style best suited to its
own peculiarlties.
the spring is problem that is always
arising and about which there are end
less discussions; the number of intelli-
gent cultivators who advocate fall plow-
ing are on the increase, it must be
said, and on lands of certain character
the advantages of fall blowing are man
fold. Strong arguments in its favor
are: the teams can pillow in the same
length of time much greater area in
the fall than in the spring, there is
more leisure time for accomplishing the
work and less fatigue to both man and
beast, and, where it is properly done,
fall blowing affords sufficient drainage
to dry the land, so that it is ready al
most or quite fortnight earlier for the
plow in the spring.
Many farmers consider fall blowing
equal to a dressing of manure, mas
much as it places the ground in condi-
ton to assimiIate all the fertilizing
properties OF mineral and atmospheric
plant-food. Soluble matters which
have leached down too far for the feed
ers to reach are also brought to the
surface by the turning over of land.
Weeds, grass and the stubble of har-
vested crops are covered in the soil,
where they will undergo decomposition
and in the right place for the rootlets
to feed upon when the crops start. In
this connection it may be well to re-
mind those who complain that blowing
under of certain weeds only tends to
encourage more luxurious growth,
that weeds which are propagated by
seed ought to be turned under before
the seed ripens. OF course, if the pro-
cess is delayed a foul crop of weeds is
planted in place of being destroyed.
Disintegration is one of the secrets of
the beneficial results from fall blowing.
Its action is twofoId; it is both mechan-
ical and chemical. Land broken by the
pillow holds greater per cent. of water.
1t freezes in this wet state, then it
thaws, and the disintegration is com.
plete. Moisture received ON the sur
face filters through the pulverized earth
evenly, and consequently the manurial
properties in the water reach every par
ticle of the soil and are retained. An
other advantage of blowing is the
greater surface of soil exposed. Com
pact ground presents but one surface to
the air, while that which is well broken
exposes every side as deep as the filth
goes. The filth is also deepened, and
clay subsoil thrown on top becomes
subjected to atmospheric actions which
prepare it for any solvents that may be
The unearthng of pestilent insects
from their comfortable hiding places in
the fall and exposing them to the
weather is one of the incalcuable bene-
fits arising from fall blowing. While
these and other benefits accrue in very
many cases from fall blowing, there are
conditions that render spring blowing
preferable. Light sandy lands, gener-
ally speaking. are best broken up in
the spring, and experience appears to
have demonstrated in most instances
that land near the sea, which is rarely
covered with snow, produces better
when plowed in the spring than if this
is done in the autumn.
Farmers generally agree that sandy
or dry soils require fiat blowing, which
tends to consolidate the land, while on
low or strong soils they prefer to leave
the burrows on edge. Much is written
and said each year against breaking up
ground that is too wet; the other ex-.
treme is seldom mentioned, and yet it
is frequently demonstrated-esp especially
in heavy clay land that running the
pillow through ground too dry is almost
as pernicioas in its effects as blowing it
when too wet. Sufficient moisture is
required to cause the burrows to fall
loosely from the pillow, with no appear
ance Of packing and no Jumps.
The question of deep and shallow
'plowing has perhaps caused more con-
troversy at clubs and farmers meet
ings than almost any other subject.
Here again no rigid rule can be laid
down by which to govern widely di-
verse circumstances. The question of
deep or shallow blowing must be de-
termined by the depth of the soil and
the character of the subsoil. In a gem
eral way it may be said that the subsoil
ought not to be brought out Of its bed
except in small quantities to be ex-
posed to the atmosphere during the
winter and spring, or in a summer fall
low, nor even then except when such
fertilizers are applied as are necessary
to put it at once into productive con-
dition. Two Indifferent soils Of oppo-
site characters stiff clay and slid
ing sand--sometimes occupy the Iela-
ton of surface and subsoil to each
other. When thoroughly incorporated
and subjected to deep cultivation these
will produce soil Of greatly-increased
value. River soils having natural
drainage take kindly to deep blowing,
as do the black, porous and fertile lime
cto,o ao;ls