The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-09-18

land and Is good argument Tor per-
feet draining. No plan. of ditching
can be submitted without the use of
diagrams, but it may be remarked
here that in many cases single ditch
properly located may cut off water
and dry many acres, as for instance, a
drain across a field, and near the foot
of an undulation where water crops
out may serve the purpose stated
above; but the farmer must be his own
engineer, and with view to economy
locate his drains so as to make them
most efficient, but by all means let the
work be we'll done. Under-drains
should be generally as deep as the
foundation will allow with a gentle
fall, say one inch to a hundred feet,
SO that the water can be carried off
and the liability to choke and fill up
with earth lessened
Cleaning, grubbing and ditchlng
accomplished, the next desideratum
of no less Importance is plowing.
There has existed in the minds of
many prejudice against deep plow-
ing-it is certainly not good policy to
turn up an old field ten or twelve
inches, which has never been plowed
to a greater depth: than four or five
inches, for the obvious reason that too
much dead earth will be brought to
the surface to produce satisfactorily
even with. good tillage and proper
fertilization the first year; yet the &C.
tion of one or two winters frost and
atmospheric influences will fructify the
hitherto dead earth and vegetable
matter will grow. AS an evidence of
the favorable influences referred to /
point the Club to the earth on the
mounds about our iron ore banks,
where white clover luxuriates on clay
taken few years ago from the depth
of twenty-five feet below the surface
would recommend moderately deep
plowing at first, say six or eight inches
and that it be done in the fall, if the
consistency of the land is such as to be
benefited by the freezing process,
which is the case in clay lands Break
ing up in the fall is especially urged
in the beginning of the renovation Of
worn-out lands, indeed it is preferable
it should be done in August, if to be
seeded in wheat-so that there may
be time for at least partial decompo-
sition of whatever "a, vegetable matter
may have been turned under, and
also to cross plow and by free use of
the roller and harrow get the ground
in good tilth Sow not later than the
first week in October, giving as liberal
an application of some good commercial
fertilizer rich in phosphates, say not
less than 500 lbs. per acre. Top dress
in early spring the CALLED places, knolls
and poorer spots, with manure of
home production. Sow clover seed
when the condition of the ground will
admit between February lst and April
1Oth-the latter date is considered late
but my experience is generally a set
from early April seeding. Lime being
the basis of all permanent improve
ment, is absolutely required in the
work of renovating lands which have
been improved by the pro iuction of
cereals for series of years, and hence
going forward with the work of reno
vation the earliest opportunity should
be availed of to return to the soil this
important factor of which by the skin
ming system it has been robbed. A
light dressing may be applied on the
young wheat in the spring twenty-five
to thirty bushels per acre which, if no
material benefit to the grain, will
serve to make more certain set of
clover and guard the young grass
from the killing effects of sun and
drought. One bushel of land plaster
per acre soon after harvest will facili-
tate the growth of clover. and fortify
it against drouth. In the treatment
of land given above in very desul-
tory manner, because of want Of time
to devote more than few minutes
now and then to the work, must be
my apology for frequent departures
from the line of thought which have
endeayored to follow. It has been
presupposed the farmers to thus handle
land must command at least limited
capital. In the absence of the funds
the same general policy may be adopt
ed with such notifications as stern
necessity may demand but with such
changes comes in a2tly with regard to