St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-02-09

ptOSISlOuS \UcC0uSc 1eWcI UCSSO SuiA
for smaller numper Of work
,animals). fewer plowa, and ether !
implements; and, moreover. you win
need less rain. because such land will
stand drought better. Since the use OF
commercial fertilizers has become gem
eral, the tendency is to rely on them
too much, andpn good cultivation toy
little. Good cultivation brings ontthe
latent fertility of the soil. and it is
upon this. after all. that our chief
reliance must be placed. Fertilizers
are only helps and aids. and are rapid
~ settling down to their proper place
a. supplementary additions to the
compost heap. Consider the soils of
the older countries of the world, of
China, England, France. They have
supported dense populations for hun
dreds Of years. and vet it is only with
in the present century that England
has imported guano from South Amer
lea. bones from the continent. or
utilized the phosphate coprolites from
her own formations. The same is true
of France and Germany.
This brings us to another mistake OF
most southern farmers. tO-wit: The
not using of the best implements for
preparing. seeding and cultivating
land. Before the war the pre-
vailiLg habit of clearing fresh
land gave the one-horse scooter and
shovel precedence over all other
plows. They were well adapted to
stumpy, rooty land. also to the care
less. needless negro. So firm foot
hold did those plOws obtain. so strong
the force of habit, that they still hold
the first place on most southern farms.
Now it is impossible to break land
deeply and Thoroughly with one Of these
light plows when the land is at all
foul. They choke up and are. constant
" thrown out of the ground. After
the land is thus broken. it is usually
bcdded with twister or shovel, if in
tended for cotton, and that is all
the preparation it receives. Con-
trast this with what might be
done. With heavy two-horse turn
plow. or. better still, with a sulky
pillow, all the trash can be buried out
of sight, at any depth desired. from
faces thus obtained may. by alternate
rolling and narrowing with disc
harrow, Le brought into finest filth
from three tofive inches deep If do
sired, it may then he thrown into beds
by riding or walking cultivator, go
ing once to each row. With the implc-
ments named. this greatly-superior
preparation can be given with the same
Tor less) labor, both of man and horse.
that the imperfect breaking and bed
ding with one-horse plows require.
Imperfect preparation increases decid-
edly the labor of subsequent cultiva-
ton. Northern farmers who have had
free labor for long time, who have
learned to appreciate its costliness,
and the vital importance of economic
ing it, use these improved implements
almost universally. Though they cost
more at the beginning. they are cheap
in the end. il behooves the farmer to
advance cautiously and prudently in
this direction. lie must not purchase
implements unsuited to his work or his
lands or his crops. or to his laborer. He
must become somewhat of machinist,
TO be able to manage the more ccmpli-
Gated implements. He must observe
and study their working At the fairs
and on the farms of his more advanced
neighbors. He might l,ave u visit re-
mote parts TO see them work and even
then get well paid for his trouble
Take all wise precautions. but i'm
proved implements he must have, to
keep pace with the times.-Southcrn
Farm