The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-10-26
Fall Piowins.

There is probably no business In
which its operators have so little agree
nient as TO the best methods of carrying
Il on as that of agriculture. What is
earnestly recommended in one locality.
il equally opposed in another. 1t mat
tiers not what practice is mentioned, it
never gains universal assent. The rea-
son obviously is, that the conditions are
unlike in the different localities. But
perhaps opinions as often arise from q
difference in powers of observation in
different persons. One carefully takes
into consideration all the attendant cir
cumstances, while another only observes
the result, without considering any of
the conditions.
The topic at the head of this article
ought to be thoroughly understood. and
the conditions under which it is advisa-
BILE well defined in the agricultural
mind, butt is not, so many deny the
advantages of blowing in the fall on
any soil. Such persons have plowed
sandy or gravelly soils, or soils satur-
ated with water during winter. and
found the blowing less effective than
in spring, and have thus formed an
opinion which they apply to all loca-
tons The sandy or gravelly soil be-
comes as compact as when not plowed,
and the wet soil is not acted upon by
frost, and has thus received no benefit.
But a clay loan, not wet, will be most
thoroughly disintegrated by the frosts
of winter, and be in finer filth than is
possible in spring blowing; and on a
stubborn clay soil, winter frosts work a
still greater benefit. No implement,
hsnd or horse, can so completely pull
verize that clay; and frosts also sweeten
and purify soil of unfavorable acids,
and therefore permit deeper furrow
in fall, the deeper soil becoming thor.
ough'y pulverized and sweetened before
the coming secd-time. This soon pro-
Dues deeper soil for the growth of
plants. Some years since, the writer
plowed a stiftish clay soil nine to ten
inches deep in the fall which had pre-
viously been plowed only five to six
inches, turning up about four inches Of
a Gght-colored clay, never before dis
turbed. Neighbors who saw the field
early in spring, thought the labor #
sowing 4 crop upon it would be lost,
that it would require several years, with
tGp-dressings, before aremunerative crop
would grow upon it.
At the time of working, in spring,
this new top LAYER of heavy soil was so
completely pulverized by the frosts of
winter that it resembled the filth of a
garden-bed; and, regardless of the
prophecies of our neighbors, we drilled
in two and half bushels of oats per
acre, with ten bushels of unleached
wood ashes, and cut a crop of forty-five
bushels per acre on the field of ten acres.
The next spring this field was seeded to
timothy meadow grass, with spring
wheat. and yielded crop of twenty
FIVE bushels per acre. This meadow cut
ton excellent consecutive crops of tim
othy hay.
1t is not necessary to deepen the soil
so much at the first blowing as we did
in this case 1t is. no doubt, better to
add one or two inches to the depth al
each blowing. The propriety of deep
plowipg depends entirely upon the char
acter Of the soil. 1t is quite unnecessary
to pillow aEght soil deeply, as it is easily
penetrated by the roots of plants, and
manures sink rapidly enough without
making it looSer.
When it is desired to deepen stiff
soil more than one team can do, an ex-
cellent way is 10 use two teams and two
plows. Let the first team turn six
inches. and the second four inches from
the bottom of the first furrow. leavingit
on top of the first. This leaves the last
four inches in a looser condition and
more favorable for the action of frost.
The second plow. to work easily, should
be a little narrower than the first. This
must be considered better than to turn
ten inches with one pillow, and would,
probably, pay the extra expense.
Another important feature of fall
blowing is, that it destroys many nox-
ious insects and weeds. By reversing
the roots of weeds. and exposing these
stroyed to large extent. Besides, the
work is done at a season of comparative
leisure. making it less expensive. But
one of the most important considera-
tons is, that the crop can be put in two
to three weeks earlier than on spring
blowing. This is so important that it
often gives good crop where one on
spring blowing would not pay for the
labor: and besides, the crop will aver
age. one year with another, fourth
better than spring plowingon stiff land.
- When practicable, fall-plowed land
should De sown to spring grain when
the frost is out of the surface sufficiently
so the seed can be properly covered,
although the frost still remains under
which, on coming out Will leave the soil
very loose: and TO this loose and pull
verulent condition of the soil is owing
the larger crop to be expected on fall
plowed land. 1t is also allowable to
pillow clay land wetter in fall than in
spring. This is also gain, for he
work may be done later in fall, because
the frosts will mellow:it; but early fall
blowing is preferred. Octoberi is usually
the best month for fall blowing, though
it may be done any time before freezing,
but the land must not be too wet in
winter -Ndtio7adI Lire Stock Journal.
III - q. d.