Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-04-13
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
DEEP FLOWING IS NOT A SUB
STITUTE FOR DRAINAGE.
Wet, UNFRAMED Soil Is Made Worse by
Deep Flowing - building the Frame
House Apiarics - Poultry Piclrings and
Household Helps.
Deep Flowing and Drainage.

Deep Flowing and Drainage.
The idea is to some extent preva-
lent among the farmers that deep
blowing has the effect of loosening
the soil so that the excess of water
near the surface will pass away, and
that it may thus serve as substi-
tute for undertaking. The idea is
mistaken one. 1t probably origi-
mates in the fact that the first effect
of blowing is to turn furrow which
imprisons considerable air. and this
introduced into the soil helps both to
warm and to dry it. But blowing
has also another effect While it
loosens its surface and thus increases
its tendency to absorb water, it also
breaks up the natural drainage chan
nels formed by decaying roots of
trees and plants. 1t thus causes tho
land to take more water while de-
creasing its capacity for holding it
This theory accords with the prac-
tical experience OF the farmers on
new, virgin soil, says the American
Cultivator. So long as it is I'M
plowed. and perhaps for year or
two after blowing, it seems dry
enough. But when the natural air
and water passages through the soil
have been broken down by a few
deep plowings the soil runs together
in times when water is most plenti-
full and it is found to badly need I'M
derdraining. No other method of
disposing of surplus water will take
the place of understanding. To
deeply pillow such land only af-
fords temporary relief while the
first furrow is being dried out. When
heavy rains or melting SHOWS fill the
soil with water the last state Of such
land is worse than the first
1t is most desirable to increase the
capacity of soil to hold water with
out stagnation. 1t can be only done
by providing an ouclet below the
frost line by thorough drainage.
When that is done the subsoil pillow,
and that still better subsoiler the
clover root, together with deep freez-
ing in winter. will do the rest. Deep
blowing instead of being an advan-
tage is positive injury to wet un-
drained soil. Even after drainage it
needs TO be practiced with great cau-
tion. On no account should the
pillow 60 below the natural soil,
which is known by it's containing the
humus or mold from decay of pre-
vious vegetation grown on or in it.
After drainage this soil will natur-
ally become deeper, especially if the
subsoil pillow is used TO loosen tho
subsoil for the better entrance of
clover roots. This is not a contra
diction of what we have before said
about deep blowing breaking up air
passages through the subsoil AID
thus making it more compact The
plowed, loosened soil occupies less
room than it did before, but its par
ticles are separated by innumerable
small interstices instead Of by few
drainage channels.
After each clover crop on drained
soil it will be possible to pillow a
little deeper. But this should be
done with caution not to go too deep
and turn up too much cold and wet
soil. There is at the bottom OF the
usual depth of blowing a hard crust
that has been compacted by the pillow
pressing the clay soil when it has
been plowed too wet. There is
nearly always ain advantage in plow-
ing deep enough TO break up this
hard crust, though it is still better
| TO do the work with subsoil pillow
following with another team the first
pillow and cutting up the subsoil in
the bottom of the furrow without
bringing it 70 the surface. This
enables the clover to go deeper
than il otherwise would. This
hard crust is usually rich in
mineral fertility, and it is q good
plan to bring it up when blowing for
winter wheat 1t is not so good for
corn or other spring crops. The
| blowing late in summer or fall ought
to be generally deeper than spring
! blowing, though it often is not Ii
is easier to pillow deep in spring, and
then is when deep blowing is most
! likely to injure the crop. Later in
! the season the. ground becomes so
dry and hard that it is extremely
! difficult to break below the crust at
the bottom of previous burrows.
There is also with every additional
inch in depth new crop of stones
to come in range of the pillow point
wherever the land is at all stony,
and such land is for that reason in
little danger OF being plowed toe
deeply.
! House Apiaries.
James Harker, who tells the Cana.
dian Bee Journal that he has success