The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-30
attainment of the crop.

our long dry summers has no manurlai
benefits to the soil, and says that 1T
does not square with scientific facts,
and sit is we'll known tlat heat and
light exert no fertilizing influence on
plant-life, though they are indis-
pensable to it," This sophistry can
not endorse. Outside the realm OF
practical and experimental farming
lay no claim to the scientific, hav-
ing never studied text book an hour,
but from years of close reading and
observation have been able to make
deductions of facts therefrom, ana
| facts and figures are stubborn things.
My theory, however, with reference to
summer blowing, is that the upturned
soil exposed to the direct rays OF the
SUP, the nitrogen is collected and
driven by its force through the ex-
panded pores of the soil, and there
comes into contact with the 1erbage
underneath, forming humus which
lies intact during the winter her
medically sealed by the winter rains,
ready to lend fructifying powers to
brain and Drawn. Soils therefore
broken early should not be re-
broken, but have a top
dressing with cultivator or
double shovel in order to give friable
seed bed that the plant roots may feed
upon the imbeded humus and indeed
the deeper the summer blowing the
better and / will further say
that early breaking is newt
able to "redeem our state
from much OF the odium heaped upon
it by the precarious results of our
present system of farming"
My theory and practice does not
quite harmonic with Mr.. McRae's
"cutaway" system and if his system
does not invert, turn over and expose
the sub soil and imbed the trash, I
will have to conclude that it is cut
away failure.
Now as to the admission that break
ing land in July is hot work, cuts no
figure in the case; those who have
tried it find it so. 1t could be gener-
ally applied if farmers could realize.
its benefits as at this season. 1t is a.
leizure time, much more so than Octo-
Der during harvesting corn, cotton,
ETC., or in mid winter when man can
not pillow by reason of the cold.
In a nutshell you have my theory,
practice and experience in July plow-
ing They 60 for what they are worth.
In the meantime let the symposium
continue and let the Survival Of the
tittest" survive.
o. D. McILRoY.
Double Horn, Burnet Co., Oct. Is. ~
STALK CUTTING.
The farmer who burns his corn and
cotton stalks, except for some very
urgent reason, commits crime.
True there is no provision in the
statutes for his punishment, but there
ought to be.
II is robbery in the first degree.
Burning robs the soil of its just DUE
A farmer should look upon his land as
he would on bank deposit on which
he draws interest. He knows that if
a portion of the principal is withdrawn
he will have just that amount less to
his credit and only receive interest on
what is left, but the same man will re-
move crops, which are both principal
and interest, off his farm year after
year, without refunding any of the
principal, and is surprised after time
to find that his account is overdrawn
and his drafts are dishonored.
1t is true that in many cases the de-
post in mother earth's bank is so large
that this laundering suicidal policy
may be continued for many years be-
fore the final collapse comes, but like
the foreclosure OF a mortgage, though
long delayed, it will come, and at a.
time when it will cause great tribula-
tion.
TO take everything from the soil
and return nothing, is to burn the
candle at both ends.
Our grand state is too Young and
her soil too rich in the virgin element 4
to ex,farmers to buy commercial
fetllizers for field crops, though il
would often pay to do so, but scien-
THO research supported by practical
experime1 is has long since proved
that blowing in all vegetable matter.
not removed with the crop, the appli-
cation OF barnyard manure and Judi
clous rotation of crops will so main
TAIN the fertility of the soil as to post.
pone the day of fertilizers almost
Indefinitely. Corn and cotton stalks
must De got out of the way of another
crop. 10 effect this one of these
things must he done: Thew must he
logged down, raked together and
hauled OFT; they may be burnt or thew
may be cut into lengths of fourteen or
hfteen inches and plowed under The
latter course is the only one worthy
OF a professed farmer. This result
can only be accomplished with a stalk
cutter and that implement is more
on the farm than planter
l Us cost Is the only reason whv if
should ;: &c. not be in general use This
could be overcome bv few
neighoors buying jointly or by y o Te
o.uylng and lending it al a small
'niarge per acre or day. Whichever
' 4Snu Is tlied it will pay by sayin p