Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1883-10-25
EXPERIMENTS IN PLOUGHING
Deep VS.. Shallow.

Mf. hnox, the veteran plough maker OF
the Ames Plow Co., has called our atten-
ton to the effect of deep blowing OF some
soils to "ffset the danger from lack of rains
In Cry seasons. Some years ago an expert
nent WAS made by western Massachusetts
farmer in plowihg portions OF a large, field
at varying depths. One part was turned
and third. after being plowed ten inches,
was snbSoile1 to the depth Of ten inches
mare, nak(hg soil comparatiy elv loose to
the depth of twenty inches. The ne xt wear,
which was dry one during The summer,
corn VAS grown upon the whole tiell which
was treated in unitorm manner through
out. and the yield of the three divisions care
fully measured. The seven inch blowing
yielded as well as the ordinary fields in the
vicinity. That part plewed ten inches deep
was greenec all through the season. and
gave decidedly better yield. but that which
was plewed ten inches aud snbsoiled ten
inches in addition. produced just about ens-
third more corn than that part plowed in
the usual way, seven inches deep. The next
year the whole field WAS. by ageemeat.
sowed to oats, as q continuation of the ex-
pertinent. the season proving even drier
than the preceding one, when corn was
grown. When the oats were about ready
to cut, Mr.. Knox. being in the neighbor-
hood, called to see them. Before reaching
the tarm. the field came in view from tn,
par Wi
the lookout. said to a companion. that the
gentleman had not done as he had agreed,
ter he could see that he had sown different
kinds Of grain upon different plots, the size
and color of the growth both marking the
lines. dividing the lands plowed at the three
different depths. But on arriving at the
field he found nothing but oats. and a.
stated by the owner, all sown npon the same
day. and treated precisely alike In every re-
spect. . fg,.so ,,
On the shallow pIowed section the grswtli
was short and the straw yellow ON the ten
inch plswing the oats were taller and less
yellew. while on the subsoiled portion they
were green and very heavy. The fiaal tests
showed fully one-third more grain on the
sub-soiled part than on that which was
plowcd only seven inches deep aa bHs
Now, it will not do for farmers to calcu-
late that deeply stirring every kind OF soils
would alone addffty per cent to the yield
of crops grown upon them the fslowing
two years. for they would doubtless be dis
appointed In very many cases. Yet, as a
rule, deep, mellow soil from which sur
plus water can readily settle without max
Ing the land into mortar, and through which
the same moisture can again freely rise by
capillary attraction, ether things being
equal. will always bring farmer the better
results. aa All
There are soils which naturally are never
too wet. and rarely too dry and it will usu-
ally be fon't' "' examination. that they are
not In the ,p echanical condition for a
considerable u -ay iwo feel ar more,
that one likes ~ j. surface soil light
frlable and conla due proportion of
vegetable matter ih.'t .e,iI al,n ne found
to contain sand nd "iay /" IA ~ The right
prapo"h arep the soil u mellow and
moist lraash he varying cliaatic eondi-
tlons. Deep blowing OF stiff rays is often
dangerous al first, but good. dry soil suits
all kins of crops In all kinds ot weather.
Deep plowing tends to make such soil,
bat this alone will not always be sufficient.
Draining and manuring must accompany
deep blowing g.-Nsv England Farmer.