The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-03-30
Gene al Rule, Directing the Flow.

Gene al Rule, Directing the Plow.
A question every season presenting
itself is whether to pillow during the fall
or spring. This question must be an
sxered in each case according to the at-
tendant circumstances. n a word. no
dellnite rule may be laid down by which
I to govern either the time or manner Of
blowing. but each piece of land must
be considered by itself and broken up
Mt season and in style best suited to
its especial necessities. To decide that
soil shall be plowed spring or fall. deep
or shallow. without considering the
character of the soil. the locality and
the nature Of the crop to be grown, is
DOWN ght folly. .a..s.i -,
While Judgment is required in this
matter of blowing. and every farmer
n ust de ide many questions for himself.
there exist some general rules that will
q sist him in arriving at proper conclu-
sions For instance, heavy clay soil
appears to require the alternate freezing
and thawings of winter to pulveri1e it.
Again. fields overrrln with weeds are
benefited by fall blowing. which turns
under these noxious growths with the
haulm the crop before their seed ma.
lures. and not only destroys but forces
them TO enrich the land they previously
encountered. Theexposure of injurious
insects to the wealth r is another condi-
ton urging fall blowing. On the other
hand. light sandy land. generally
speaking, is best plowed in the spring.
AS regards, the problem of deep and
shallow blowing, that must be settled
by the depth of the soil and the char
acter of the subsoil. Land that is dry
with only,a ew inches O. good soil calls
for shallow blowing, while deep. rich
soil as rule is more productive when
deeply plowed. When the surface soil
is shallow the gradual deepening of it
ought to be sought by the use of ap-
prorriate materials for Improvement
until the object is fully attained.
The subsoil ought not ordinarily to be
brought out of its bed except in small
quantities, TO be exposed to the atmos-
phere during the winter, or in a sum-
mer fallow: nor even then, except when
suitable fertilizers are applied to nut
it at once into a productive condition.
Soils ofopposite character, as stiff C ay
and sli.ling sand, sometimes occupy the
relation of surface and sub oil to ca h
other. When such a ondition exists,
deep cultivation that thoroughly incor-
porates the two will hardly fail to pro-
duce a soil of enhanced val~e. River
soils having perfect natural drainage,
respond favorably to deep plcw NO. as
do the black, porous and fertile lime
stone soils. Deep blowing is i'll adj
vised when basin is formed below
certain line, in which water will settle
and remain until it can escape by
evaporation. Such soils require DIR lin
age, after which the plow may be set
deep with advantage.
Shallow soils can and ought to be
deepened. These must, of course, when
the subsoil is worthless. belightly Guilt
waited ntil the farmer is really to gle
additional labor and expense to their
Improvement. But so soon as he can
pra tice for few years subsoil'ng ard
manuring, so soon will his shallow land
become valuable and increased crops re-
paw for The extra expense of labor.
Where all circumstances are favorable
to the use of a subsoil pillow an increase
of crops follows. for the hard earth be-
low the reach of the ordinary pillow has
been loosened This permits the escape
of the water which falls on the surface,
The circulation of air and a more ex-
tended range for the roots of deep
growing plants. by which thev procure
additional nourishment and secure the
crop against drouth. The benefits of
subsoil blowing are most apparent in
an imrervious clay suhsoil and least evil
dent in loose and leachv ones.
From the foregoing it W II appear to
the careful reader that tn n soils with
poor subsoil must be plowed shallow
unless subsoiling and .manuring are re-
sorted TO; that deep CLAW loans and
alluvial soil bear deep blowing. and
wet lands must be drained previous 10
deep blowing. The medium course
which is blowing from five to six inches
deep-is exempt from the harm ul re-
suits of the two extremes. - .'.
On low or strong lands experienced
farmers give the preference to q furrow
left on edge exposed to the action Of air
and harrow. On sanly or dry soil they
practice at piowinr. which tends %
consolidate the land. Experienced
farmers avoid breaking up ground that
is TOO wet. or running the pillow through
ground too dry. The effects in either
case are pernicious Su rcient moist
ure ia required 10 cause the burrows to
fall loosely from the pillow with no APP
pearance of packing and no Jumps
A. Y. WorM.