The Brookhaven leader., 1883-11-01
Deep vs.. Shallow Flowing.

Mr.. Knox, the veteran plow-maker.
has called our attention to the effect of
deep blowing of some soils to offset the
danger from lack of rains in dry sea-
sons. Some years ago an experiment
was made.by Western Massachusetts
farmer in plowing portions of a large
field at varying depths. One part was
turned over seven inches deep. another
ten inches, and third after being
plowed ten inches, was subsoiled to the
depth of ten inches more, making soil
comparatively loose to the depth of
twenty inches. The next year, which
was a dry one during the summer. corn
was grown upon the whole field, which
was treated in a uniform manner
throughout, and the yield of the three
divisions carefully measured. The
seven-inch blowing yielded as well as
the ordinary fields in the vicinity. That
part plowed ten inches deep was green
er all through the season, and gave a
decidedly better yield, but that which
was plowed ten inches and subsoilcd
ten inches in addition, produced just
about one-thrd more corn than that
part plOwcd in the usual way, seven
inches deep. The next year, the whole
field was, by agreement, sowed to oats,
as a continuation of the experiment, the
season proving even drier than the pre-
ceding one, when corn was grown.
When the oats were about ready to cut
Mr.. Knox being in the neighborhood,
called to see them. Before reaching the
farm, the field came in view from the
car windows, and Mr. Knox, who was
on the lookout, said to companion
that the gentleman had not done as he
had agreed, for he could see that he had
sown different kinds of grain upon the
different plots, the size and color of the
growth both marking the lines, divid-
ing the lands plowed at the three differ
ent depths. But on arriving at the field
he found nothing but oats, and as stated
by the owner, all sown on the same day,
and treated precisely alike in every re-
spect.
On the shallow-p -plowed section, the
growth was short, and the straw yellow;
on the ten-inch plowing, the oats were
taller and less yellow, while on the sub
soiled portion they were green and very
heavy The final tests showed full one
third more grain on the subsoiled part
than on that which was plowed only
seven inches deep.
Now, it will not do for farmers to
calculate that deeply stirring every
kind of soils would alone add fifty per
cent. to the yield of crops grown upon
them the following two years, for they
would doubtless be disappointed in
very many cases. Yet, as a rule, a
deep, mellow soil from which surplus
water can readily settle without max
ing the land into mortar, and through
which the same moisture can again
freely rise by capillary attraction, other
things being equal, will always bring a
farmer the better results.
There are soils which naturally are
never too wet, and rarely too dry, and
it will usually be found on examination
that they are in the same mechanical
condition for considerable depth, say
two feet or more, that one likes to have
his surface soil, light, friable and con-
tanning due proportion of vegetable
matter They will also be found to
contain sand and clay in about the
right proportion to keep the soil both
mellow and moist through the varying
climatic conditions. Deep plowing of
stiff clays is often dangerous at first,
but good, dry soil suits all kinds of
crops in all kinds of weather. Deep
pIowing tends to make such soil, but
this alone will not always be sufficient.
Draining and manuring must accompa.
ny deep plowing. N. E. Farmer.