The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-20
When to Plow.

| There is one element Of good farming,
says the American CuLtiUator, that is not
always considered in the light that it should
be, and that is the primary principle of ag-
riculture, blowing the soil. There is time
to pillow as well as a time to reap, and l have
| seen farmers who have blasted a crop by
blowing and seeding when the soil was in an
| improper condition.
There are as good farmers among the
Canadians as there are cheese makers, and
one of the most judicious men that ever
knew in regard TO blowing was son of the
province of Ontario. He was farmer who
believed IN cultivating the soil Alright, or
not cultivating it at all Would that the
land were full OF such agriculturistsl When
young farmer, not out of nv teens,
lived as neighbor to this thrifty Canadian
IN western state. One spring we both
happened to have two fields almost exactly
similar In soil composition, that, unknown
to one another, we had each designed for
barley culture.
Being young and somewhat conceited. |
was not then as prone to seek advice as
would be now, but sowed my barley in late
April, narrowing the seed into soxgy, cold
ground. There was a great deal of rainy
-
grain grew apace, but my Canadian friend
had not seen lit to even pl0w his land yet
spoke to him about it, fearing that be would
put cultivation off 30 late as to lose a crop
but he smiled complacently, and said that he
would not turn a furrow Of clay land while
wet, as it would deteriorate the quality of the
soil for years TO come, and yield him bar
rem harvest the initial season.
well, about June l there was a spell of
0Qe wpAthpT his soil OOt dry and rna1lOu4-
and he plowed the selected field. and seeded
1t to barley. The trees were in full leaf, the
air was soft aud balmy, and there was
growth" in the ground The grain re-
sponded to the proper condition of the sea-
son right royalty, and by the middle of July
1t was ahead OF my piece, sowed a month
before it. But after the harvest, when the
threshing machine umpired the result, then
my eyes began TO open, and l realized that
the time had spent putting grain seed into
the ground in the rain l had better have
passed sitting in the house.
My neighuors'S barley turned him fifty
bushels to the acre, while my yield was only
fifteen bushels. That was the greatest agri-
cultural eye-opener | ever had in my youth,
and have always remembered it. The
Canadian farmer was always so deliberate
with his prepation OF the soil that the people
of the neighborhood called him "slow," but
they soon began to realize that there was
nothing slow about his harvest returns.
Let me urge upon farmers that in blowing
and cultivating they treat soil according to
its character. There is some land that will
not be much injured by blowing in the rain,
but it is of such sandy composition that it
will not grass over, and Is of but little use
except for the fruit grower.
Land with any body" to it, though it be
a sandy loan, should be worked 50 that it
will facilitate vegetable growth rather than
retard it. This is an important matter as
it concerns the birth of the seasons agri-
cultural produce, and now is the time to
practically apply it to your labors in the
field.
The manner in which you treat your soil
in the spring means veal or woe to the harry
est returns, SO act wisely in the premises.