The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-03
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
The Field. Farm and Garden


We solicit articles for this department.
The name Of the wrissr shoald accompany
ths letter or article. not necessarily for pub
LEGATION. but as an evidence of good faith
The Profit in Good Preparation Of the
Soil
But few of our farmers can be said to at
tach that Importance to good preparation
of the soil that it really deserves and that is
exhibited by our more northern neighbors.
One conversant with the methods of our ma
tive farmers need not be told that very little
care is exercised toward securing thor
0ughly pulverized seedbed for their crops,
whether of corn, or cotton, or oats, or pota-
toes. or even of their garden crops. For
one who really appreciates the value of
thorough pulverization and enforces his
judgment in the matter there are dozen
perhaps who regard with indifference, ap-
parently, the depth of the breaking, the
Existence OF clods and the proper firming of
che seedbed after planting. Good prepare
ration also includes a due regard to the
thorough mingling and incorporation of the
manure with the soil so that the roots of the
plant can find it in every direction. We
know very well that the common practice
is altogether at variance with this principle.
Little or no manure is applied broadcast,
whether the manure be stable manure, or
compost, or commercial fertilizers With
the aid of 'guano-horn" the latter is usu-
ally concentrated in narrow line in the
bottom of the furrow. where ir hundreds
of instances, and in dry years particularly,
it does more harm than good the year it is
applied. This IS no loose statement but is
grounded upon the observation of twenty
years in the use of commercial fertilizers
Time and again we have observed effects
upon drilled crops that were traceable. with
out fear of mistake, to the narrow line of
concentrated chemicals running along the
row OF plants. The explanation of the i'll
effects resulting from fertilizers is simple
enough. The fertilizer being applied in a
deep, narrow drill, on land perhaps not
specially rich in humus, the plant is induced
to throw out an excessive and abnormal
quantity of roots along this highly enriched
line. In the early part of the season, while
moisture is abundant and the suns rays
mild, the young plant absorbs the valuable
elements of the fertilizer, and thrives. At
every rain more roots are thrown out into
the manure line. By midsummer solid
mass of roots occupy this narrow space, and
when dry spell comes exhausts the moist
ure i'll their reach in a little while, and the
consequence is a firing of the plant, wilt
ing easily in the day under the suns rays.
A proper application of fertilizers is as
much part of proper preparation, there
fore, as is thorough pulverization of the soil
(unless the Chinese plan of manuring the
growing plant, instead of applying the
manure in advance to the soil, is adopted
Some soils, of course, are much easier to
prepare than others. Sandy soils, when
plowed at the proper time, need little or no
aid from the harrow. Clay soils, on the
other hand, need to be plowed just at the
right time, when neither too dry nor too
wet, and, furthermore, require as general
thing the liberal use of the harrow, if a
perfect state of pulverization is appreciated
and arrived at.
On sandy soils the roller is usually more
profitable implement than the harrow,
from frost in the fall to faIl-planted crops
or to ameliorate the effects OF drought in
the spring and summer. At either season
of the year it is possible to have such soil
entirely too loose and too permeable to at
mospheric influence for the good of the
crop.
As an illustration of the combined use of
harrow and roller in getting soil in first
class filth we cite here the method pursued
by R, W. Strickland of Orleans county,
New York, who won the $500 prize offered
by the american AgricuLturist the past
season for the largest yield of oats from one
acre. Mr.. Strickland says: my principal
object was to SO prepare the land that the
plants roots could readily make their way
through the soil and assimilate its elements
as rapidly as possible. | plowed the land
six iGches deep with Ward pillow the last
week in April, but did not cross-plow it. AS
soon as pIowed went ove- it with roller.
then narrowed it lengthwise of the furrow
with spring harrow, then rolled it
again with large, heavy roller. then har-
rowed it again crossways, rolled it again,
then narrowed it cornerways, rolled it again,
and then narrowed it again cornerways in
the opposite direction. The weather was
fair. and the repeated borrowings and roller
left the soil as fine and mellow as seed
bed.n
Mr.. Stricklaud's land was naturally fer
tile. and he applied no fertilizer to the oats.
The crop that resulted measured 1874 bushels.
Now, whether the last two rollings and
harrowings increased the yield to any
marked extent is, of course, questionable.
Two rollings and harrowings ordinarily
would leave such soil in frst-class condition
for seeding. New grounds need liberal use
Of the roller the first year.
1t goes without saying that "high culture
enforces liberal use of both roller and
harrow, little as they may be appreciated
by the mass of our farmers at present.