The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-25
SUBSOILING AND SURFACE CULTI-
WALTON

The seasons OF 1890 and 1894 have i'm
pressed the value of thorough work very
forcibly on the progressive farmers of the
west While the great advantages to be
gained from some form OF irrigation are
evident in all ages, not all are located to
readily use the help of irrigation I'M
proved methods of preparing the soil TO
stir up the moisture nature SENDS and to
conserve it until needed by trees and
plants are open to all of US. For many
years the nurSerymen west of the Mis-
souri, have been familiar with the marked
advantages of deep work in blowing land
intended for trees and plants. 1t is COM
monty observed among those nurserymen
and OrchardiStS who practice deep and
careful preparation of the soil that bet
ter root growth and healthier trees are
obtained in dry seasons than wet The
dry season invites trees to root deep in
the SUBSIDIZED land and the absence of rain
compels such frequent surface cultiva-
tons as shall aerate the soil and hold all
moisture given by rain. for the use OF
trees and plants cultivated. Subsoiling to
the depth of sixteen TO eighteen inches al
lows the SHOWS and rains of winter and
spring to soak into the soil instead of
running away. As soils can take up 80 to
90 per cent. of their weight of water a.
large amount is stored for use of plants
in dry weather. For best results l would
prefer to subsoil in autumn, though for
twenty years have subsoiled in spring as
Well as fall with good results. Our prac-
tlce is to use three good horses on lead
stirring pillow and carry nine to ten inches.
Follow with three strong horses on sub
soil plow, loosening the hard soil seven to
eight inches deeper and leaving 1t loosen
ed in the bottom OF the furrow. Prefer
such subsoil plowS as have adjustable
beams dial clevis is hardly sufficient, en-
in the furrow instead of on ploWed soil
If work is done in fall leave rough and
loose to catch snow. II in spring. harrow
each half day, or at least daily to fine
the surface. prevent clods and hold moiS-
ture. 1 do not now remember spring in
the last twenty-three years when nature
.ofrr oI h. esrrNa fNrrN
burrows. In the cultivation of orchards,
small fruits and nursery stock on lands
properly prepared and then cultivated
weekly, / have never known a complete
failure, and after trees and plants are
once rooted, moisture enough has always
been held TO secure fair growth on trees
make the soil sufficiently firm to enable
the moisture to rise to the surface, then
harrow or pulverize. in any way open
with the tools at hand to firm the soil
Subsequent work is simply with any form
of surface working machinery 70 prevent
moisture rising by capillary clear to the
surface and being evaporated-
Any tool which will keep two inches Of
the surface loose will answer the purpose.
If the principles are understood and
steadily followed, success is reasonably
sure. Be careful not to cultivate SO deep
ly as TO break roots. In localities subject
TO drouth do not crowd he trees or
plants. Too many trees exhauStS the
moisture just as certain six corn
stalks in a hill are too many. In 1894 our
orchard, 2Sx2S. worked e2ch way with a
disc pulveriZer, and narrowed frequently
held good supply of moisture until Sep
tember while the orchard with rows Pix
p that could only be worked one way SUI
fered. Evidently frequent cultivation OF
the surface aerates the soil and by the
action of the oxygen in the air with the
moisture in the soil, plant food is changed
10 soluble forms that are ready to be taxi
en- up as needed.
Nursery seedlings always receive fire.
quent cultivation with the variable re-
suits that when followed by corn or grain
a large increase of yield is noted In 1891
corn following seedlings yielded O5 bush
els and forty pounds per acre of shelled
corn. This on high prairie and on a class
of land that with ordinary culture in
some years gave no more than fifty bush
els per acre
With such preparation and culture,
nursery fields hold sufficient moisture for
fair growth in dryest years. The same
methods applied to farm crops should
give improved results.-E. +. Stephens,
president of the Nebraska Horticultural
Society, in the Nebraska Farmer.
The most extensive cultivator of edible
snaiIs in France is NJ. eros, of Argelet.
whose annual output ranges from 1000
OG0 to 100000 snails-