The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-21

over one hundred and nifty years ago
Pethro Tull, an English land owner,
made a close study OF the agriculture
of Italy and south France, and, as u
result. came to the conclusion that not
only adequate tillage, an economic sub
stitute for manure, but that through
tilage il is competent, without the aid
Of manure. to secure the profitable
growth of any kind Of cultivated plants
year after year. Dir. Tull began
series Of experiments to prove his propo-
sitions. and up TO the time Of his death
he had grown thirteen unmanured wheat
crops without intermission on the same
land and the last crop was as good
as the first one. Later another En-
glishrnan undertook the same experiment
with gratifying results. The plan was
not only to prepare the seed bed perfect
y. but also to till the wheat in drills
continuously throughout the season.
While il was possible for Mr. Tull 10
make tillage take the place Of manures
for along series of years in the growing
of wheat the lesson 70 be learned from
his experiments is not that we can pro-
duce our crops prohtably without
manure. but that there is more in per-
feet tillage than the great majority of
us realize. It is an old saying that
tillage is manure. It was believed for
time that the saying was a true one.
Then came period when we thought we
saw that tillage was only 2. means Of
getting the best results from manure.
Today science is showing us that tillage
does indeed enrich the land in some
ways. It Will not repair the entire loss
from removing a crop, but IL in itself
is a help and adjunct of manure.
Mr.. Tuu doubtless got hold Of a truth
many overlook, but he carried the
matter too far. Yet. he WAS in error
farther than the farmer of today who
Is working on the other extreme. and de-
ponds chiefly upon the fertility of his
soil and very little upon the tillage he
gives II. There is middle ground that
IS safe. We want all the manure we
can get, and then we want TO supple
ment il with the best Of tillage. There
lies in the ground wonderful stores Of
plant food that are unavailable for use
of plants. Thorough tillage helps 10 in
crease its availability. 1t causes a more
rapid disintegration Of the soil by which
plant food is released Then. too, it en-
ables the soil TO gain in mira ties. and
il helps the moisture in the soil to rise
and To bring up plant food from the
subsoil. In a word it adds plant food.
Land is often unproductive merely be-
cause the condition Of the soil is such
that chemical action cannot take place
I'm it rapidly. IT may be water-soaked,
or ii may be SO compact by nature that
air cannot enter it. If by drainage we
remove the water. and then by tillage
we thoroughly pulverize the soil. grand
Yields are often possible. A growth of
clover, OF rye. or grass, turned under
wiiI-oosen the soil. The grass roots
break the soil in pieces. The constant
stirring hastens chemical action. \
perfect seed bed lets the rOotlets OF
corn. or potatoes. or other plants stretch
out in every direction. There is no wind
ing about between clods in search Of
plant food. Then constant stirring of
the top soil let's the air enter it, and
retains the moisture.
Manure should not be used 10 produce
a crop amidst clods. 1t should not take
the place Of good tillage-that is as
great a mistake as the one made by
Mr. Tull. Manure should supplement
Iillage- If there is "A perfect pulveriza-
ton Of the soil the plants can use the
manure 10 better advantage. If the
supply of manure is limited. the need
of tillage is all the greater, as it must SO
prepare the soil that il will yield up
all the plant food possible for the grow
ing crop. The soil has wonderful
capabilities if only by good tillage we
let chemical action take place. In fairly
good soils good tillage is even more i'm
portant than manure.