The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-01-31
Spring PlowIng-Dead Grass, Etc.

Spring PloWIng-Dead Grass, Etc.
The damp, falling weather we have
had during the past week may be ac-
cepted as sample of the two or three
months to come. At the close of the
old year we were ten or twelve inches
"short'' on rain, the last three months
being especially dry. According to
the law of compensation we may rea-
sonably expect period, Of greater OF
less length, Of rainy weather. 1t
therefore behooves every farmer to
start to plowing promptly and to keep
"every plow going" whenever the
weather is suitable and the ground is
not too wet. The latter caution is,
perhaps, needless, since every intelli-
gent farmer knows that to plow wet
soil is to seriously impair it's product
iveness for at least the current year.
The advice is generally given not to
burn off dead grass, cornstalks, etc.,
but to always plow them under. This
advice is based on the well-known
principle that such vegetable matter
adds to the humus of the soil, I'M
proves its mechanical condition and
increases its productivcness. The
principle is a correct one, but in prac-
tice it must submit to notifications
according to circumstance. If we
were intending to bring into cultiva-
tion an old field with a strong, rank
growth of broom sedge on it, we would
turn the sedge and briars under with
heavy two-horse turn plow, in the
fall as early as possible, say in Octo-
Der or even earlier. This would give
time for the sedge and weeds to de-
compose to the extent that they would
offer but little obstacle to cultivation
the next spring and summer. The
same treatment would be in order if it
were cornfeld and the surface were
covered with heavy growth Of crab
grass and cornstalks, especially the
crabgrass. But if such broom sedge
land or foul ccrnfelds have passed
through the winter until after Christ
mas our experiment is in favor of
burning off the excessive vegetable
matter, thus modifying the rule above
mentioned, on the claim that thorough
preparation Of the ground, the putting
it into suoh condition that the after
planting and cultivation can be per
fectly done, is Of more Importance
than the conserving Of the dead vege-
table matter. A rule we have for
years followed in a general way is this
If plowing lands before Christmas we
do not burn the grass and debris, the
remains of the previous crop, espe-
cially if it be not heavy; but if the
new year has come in and particularly
if such dead growth be rank and abun,
dant, if it is thick enough to burn, we
burn it off and get it Of to get it out
of the way. Any farmer who doubts
the propriety Of burning off a rank
growth of crabcrass late in the spring,
before plowing, may easily convince
himself by burning the grass from
half of such field and permitting ii
to remain on the other half and have
tussel with it every time he works
it, on until crops are ''laid by" Il
it be as late as March, or even not
later than February, we would not
hesitate to guarantee better crop on
the burned off half Of the field. Now
if large two-horse plow and good
weed hook or chain be used in the
lands of a faithful and skillful plow'
man, the plowing may be done without
burning off but otherwise, better gel
it out of the way.
A rank growth of dead cornstalks is
more in the way than they are worth
to the land. IL the first place, sol
that will produce a rank growth Of
cornstalks does not, as a rule, so much
require the addition Of vegetable mat
ter. But a good way to get rid Of
cornstalks without burning them il
one of the following: 1. Let one Of
more hands, as many as may be found
necessary, follow the plows as they &c
around, pull them out and lay then
straight in the furrow last run. Then
in addition, require each plowman tt
do his work well and hide every stalk
2. The other plan is to take an ordi
nary sickle, such as is used by hant
for trimming lawns, or long thin
bladed, sharp knife, and by quicl
right and left downward strokes GU
the standing cornstalks into from fou
to six pieces each, letting the pieces
fall where they will. Most Of these
| pieces will be buried by a two-hors'
plow, and, being short, they will no
be much in the way of subsequen
cultivation.-R. j. Redding, IN At
lanta Constitution,
III. E;u,R o,d foof Hn,pn1oInf