Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-15

Droughts and Deep Tillage.
That crops growing on deeply
worked soil suffer less during droughts
than those on a shallow one, we think
every observing farmer win admit, and
for the very good reason that deep soil
mas q greater capacity for absorbing and
retaining moisture. A thoroughly pre-
pared soil may be likened to a huge
sponge, which will take up and hold q
certain quantity of water and no more.
II greater amount of water falls upon
the soil than it can absorb, then there
should be an outlet provided to admit Of
lts rapidly passing away in the form Of
open bitches, or, what is better, tile un-
derdrains. The far too general idea
prevalent among our farmers is that
land which dries up and cracks in times
OF drought is already too dry, and un-
derdraining and deep blowing would
make q, bad matter worse. This is an
error, for the sponge to which we have
referred and ikened to well-prepared
soA is very open, porous material, and
while water will pass through it very
rapidly Il .applied in excess, still large
amountiEalways retained in it's cells.
A hard, compact soil may be compared
to close-grained brick, which will alb
serb moisture to the amount that can
be stored in the minute spaces between
the grains OF sand and clay; and while
this may he considerable, the very COM
pactness of the brick is unfavorable to
the retention of moisture. The parti-
cles- of sand and clay of which it is COM
posed touching each other, they become
ready conductors of heat, and as this
passes from one to another the moisture
is driven off and what is termed rapid
evaporation occurs. Now hard, COM
pact clay or loan soil is similar to a
brick, and the heat of the sun striking
the surface passes or is conducted down.
ward, driving out the moisture in its
course, and at last the soil shrinks and
cracks open on the surface, and to a
greater or less depth, according to the
severity of the drought. A sponge-like
soil retains it's moisture much longer
than a compact one, and for this reason
we have always advocated deep plow-
ing and thorough pulverization of the
soil, even for those which do not need
undertaking. Clayey and heavy
loany soils are greatly benefited by un-
derdraining, in addition to deep and
frequent breaking up and pulverizing.
We seldom have droughts SO severe as
to materially injure crops growing on
underdrained soils, or those which have
been worked over to the depth of from
sixteen inches to two feet, and this in
itself should be sufficient to make our
farmers pay more attention to the deep
ening Of the soil ON their farms. In ad-
dition to deepening the soil, frequent
stirring Of the surface among cultivated
crops is very beneficial in times of
drought, and on all kinds of soils. Gull
tivating just. enough to keep down the
weeds is at best poor attention, and if
good crops can be obtained under such
care, much better would be secured by
thorough cultivation. Market gardeners
are far ahead of the majority Of farmers
in the care which they bestow upon
their crops, and, we might add, secure
far greater returns for the labor and
capital invested. We call to mind a
neighbor who cultivates several acres of
light sandy soil, which has been under
the pillow for at least half century or
more; consequently whatever elements
of fertility there are in it have been in
the form of manure from time to time as
the different crops have been put in.
This hand had been part of an old farm
until three years ago, when our neigh
Dor, who is known as Dutch Charley,
took hold of it. He planted corn, pota-
toes, and Lima beans, the latter being
his specially, and having little manure
or means for buying a supply, all was
used in the hill or on top of the seed
after planting. But what Charley lacked
in the way of fertilizers he made up in
cultivation and stirring the soil. His
grounds being situated where we could
see what was being done almost every
day during the season, we have had an
excellent opportunity of noticing what
cultivation will do for crops. His three
acres of Lima beans have each year re-
ceived as much attention in the way of
blowing out and hoeing as any ten acres
of corn or potatoes on neighboring
farms, and the crop obtained fully paid
for the extra cultivation. In dry
weather the pillow is run through at least
once week, the hoe following to level
down and smooth around the hills. We
have also noticed that after every heavy
shower the pillow is started and the en-
tire surface of the ground stirred, which
permits of thorough aeration, as well as
exhalation of surplus moisture. This
thorough culture and almost constant
stirring of the soil call for considerable
outlay in the way of labor; but I am
quite certain that our Dutch neighbor
with his five acres of land planted with
early peas, potatoes, corn, and Lima
beans, makes more clear money in a
year than some neighboring farmers
with their hundred acres cultivated in
their usual slip-shod way. Last year we
had a very severe drought during the
early part of the season, and we had a
most excellent opportunity of observing
the effect of frequent stirring the soil.
In no case did it fail to produce good re-
suits, often reviving plants which ap-
peared to be past saving. But to secure
the greatest Benefits from q thoroughly
prepared soil, man must of course be
in moderately favorable climate, else
fo,. 81,