The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-09

| IL Che Agricultural Editor of The States
| mai:
Let us continue the symposium
The times are pregnant with new
ideas. Every farmer who reads il
ready to make a change. Some
changes are urgent and need to bt
made now. Let us have the ideas. /
they are good we will adopt them; i
otherwise, well-we will try to fine
grace enough to thank you for the
courage and good intention in pre
senting them.
Mr.. 'McIlroy's observations respect.
ing summer breaking of land are sug-
gestive, especially touching it's effect
on the crop the season following. I
take 1T that he was not mistaken in
his observations. If the distinction in
the results was so marked the summer
breaking must have been factor in
the attainment. Perhaps in the
greater capacity of the rough up.
turned soil to absorb the plant food
which is supposed to come from the
atmosphere with the descending rains
and which in their leveling pro-
cess imbedded in the land
whatever there was of the
enriching elements. But 1 do not
know this. There are those who pro-
TESS to know it. lean to the SIMPLER
faith, i. e., the mechanical benefit of
the breaking, and the lapse of time
between the breaking and the COM
mencement and continuation of the
crop growth. This is really the only
tangible part of the conditions noted
by Mr.. McIlroy, and I resolve it into
two great principles which if adopted
and carried into general practice by
our farmers would redeem our state
from much of the odium heaped upon
it by the precarious results of our
present system of farming. First,
deep and perfect pulverization of the
soil. Second, lapse of time sufficient
for the dismembered particles to re-
turn to their natural or normal condi-
ton before planting. This gives the
only true home for growing roots, and
there is no other, unless it is found in
our undisturbed virgin soil.
Mr.. McIlrOy makes a point against
carrying his observations into general
practice when he says: Breaking in
July or August is hot work." And he
might have made a still stronger one
if he would have said the best expert
ence forbid a general application of
summer blowing, or even early
fall blowing. Then the next best
thing to do is to change
adopt a new system. I am con-
scious l must be brief.
Three years ago I commenced ex-
perimenting with the disk harrow as
a possible substitute for the breaking
pillow on my farm, and this expert
menting has resulted in the perma-
nent adoption of the following system:
l. Exclusive use of the Clark cuta-
way in breaking preparatory to plant
ing all crops.
2. Planting corn and cotton early
and as deeply as possible, covering
both lightly.
3. Cultivating shallow and continu
ing this work till cotton commences
to open, and earn until it has received
three or more workings. The first
working of the corn to be done by the
"Cutaway," and that of cotton ditto,
by cross-checking.
Now the advantages of this system
l. A saving of time and labor per
acre in preparation of land.
2. Increased capacity of land to
withstand drouth.
3. Early maturation with maximum
4. Largely increased acreage per
mule.
5. Increased profits which follow as
a logical sequence.
DAN M. MCRAE.
The question, (Which is the best
time to break land, July or OCTOBER"
is exciting much interest amongst the
readers of this column, if 1 may judge
from the correspondence already re-
ceived.
Mr.. McRae's contribution is a valu-
able one, not that it settles the dis
puted point, but it gives his exper-
fence with comparatively new i'm
plement, "Clark's Cutaway," as sub
stitute for the turning pillow.
l would like more information on
this subject. Mr.. McRae strongly ad-
vises the use of the Cutaway in pre-
pairing the soil for planting.
If he will answer the following
questions he will oblige.
l. Have you entirely dispensed with
the turning blowing in breaking land?
9. Does the Cutaway work as easily
as Il turning pillow in any kind and
condition of soil?
3. Does it invert, turn over or mix
the soil as effectively as pillow?
4. To what depth can it stir the
soil?
5. Does it cut and cover up trash,
such as cotton and corn stalks, as
thoroughly as a pillow with rolling
cutter.