Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1882-10-26


ing-is in making a general rule IRON a
narrow locality,
There are two conditions Of soil which are
not benefited BY deep blowing; these are
which are porous below. A sterile subsoil
does not benefit the richer top soil by inter-
mixture with il. and ii porous >ub-soil does
not need lposenihg. But soil rich above
and poor and iMpertiouS below, may be
much improved tor withstanding the effects
of severe droulhs by subsoilng and loosen
ing to some depth to receive like sponge
the heavy rains which tall upon it, and to
give out from thisreservoir the needed mois-
ture to growing crops when drouths prevail.
We have seen some striking instances.
! row OF potatoes planted over Il covered ditch
yieldea double 10 crop given from either Of
| the adjacent rows. the quality OF the soil
being The same; lat the loo>ened earth over
the ditch prevented the effects Of the severe
drourh which affected the adjoining rows
LII the same WAY IN advocate !er manurlng
with electricity IauNeu his tneory, As lie
thought, by running wire fron a lightning
rod under a row Of beans, which were great
ly increased in growth. Tie theory. how
ever, was overthrown when it was lounu
that the same increased growth was pro-
duced away tromtthe wire by loosenng the
subsoil as much ss was required for Eurying
the wire The areat increase i'll the potato
crop by thorough suhsoiling was shown
some years ago in a season of unusual
drouth ina field 0, several acres. which
yielded more than triple the amount per
acre obtainea from other fields which We're
planted after common or shallow ploWing,
and the whole crop being sold at seventy.
! five cents4sa bfisi,eI;~ gave over hundred
| dollars for each acre.
These instances occur where the subsOil
possesses no unusual iertiliZing quality.
the benefit arising from its acting as a
sponge Or reservoir for moisture, as we'll as
for the deeper extension of the roots. But
great positive benefit has been found by
bringing up and mixing portions Of the
subsol with the earth at the surface. A
farmer in one ot the western counties OF the
State. in preparing the land for wheat, set
the pIow to run two inches deepar than the
blowing in previous years. The result was
that his wheat crop was increased eight or
/ ten bushels on al average. A still more
striking instance occurred on another occa-
sion, of the benefit Of an intermixture oi
| the su'tSoil with the surface. An open ditch
had been cut througha a field ttftlrain a snal
pond The earth taken from the ditch was
scattered over the surface for a rod or two
on each side. The field was then sown II.
wheat. The subsequent winter was very
severe on this crop, and the following sum
mer proved unusually unfavorahle. On moss
of the field the product did not average owe,
five bushels per acre--it was scarcely WORT
cutting. The two strips ION each side OF ti't
ditcl) on which the snbsoil was spread
yielded at the rate of twenty bushels PEI
acre. This contrast was not owing to tht
! drainage effected by the ditch. as The sol
and subsoil of much nf the field rested Of
gravel and had a natural drainage.
Farmers must adapt heir practice TO cir
| cumstauces. If the subsol is both sterile
and porous, there would be no object what
ever IN deep blowing, unless possibly to
gradually deepening The manured top soil
If sterile, but impervinus, it should be sub
soiled not trench plowed-to deepen th'
reservoir for the absorption and supply o
! moisture. If it possesses enriching qualille
the blowing should be deep enough to hrin!
up portion of tile surface and it in addi
ton to its ferliliZing effects it is imperviou
to water, the subsoil plow should be use,
in addition TO running the common plov
deeper than before. IL is hardly necessar,
to add that all impervious subSois nee,
thorough undertaking as an indispensable
requirement in connection with suhsoiling
We might offer suggestions as to What til
tertilizing substances were in these etrichin:
subsoils, but our present purpose is mereI.
with the established facts.- Country Gentle
naa.