The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-04-12
sprins Plowins.

In all the Northern states the suc.
cess Of the farmer in crop growing ia
aided more than is often thought by
the pulverizatlon which the soil eets
by alternate freezing and thawinx in
winter. This effect is most noticeable
on soil that Is open and exposed tn
repeated freezing and thawlng, When
there Is very heavy sod the soil is
slow to freeze In the early winter.
and equally slow to thaW when warm
weather comes.
This Is especially true of land where
water stands on or near the surface
thus forming ice and preventing the
air from penetrating the soil. On such
land winter freezing does no good.
There may be some expansion of soil
while the ground Is frozen, but when.
ever the ice thaws the soil and water
run together again. II plOwed, such
land turns up sodden and cold. II
takes time for the mellowing influ.
ences Of air, warmth and sunlight to
fit 1t for seed bed.
This explanation of what freezing
does to the soil is very suggestive as
to how spring blowing ought to he
done: 1t ought never to be deep. All
the finer particles Of soil, those which
have been most thoroughly pulverized,
are close to the surface, usually with.
IN four or I'VE inches. Below this the
soil has not been SO often saturated
with water, and has run together
again. Wherever the subsoil is soggy
and turns up wet when plowed, that
fact shows that 1t is unfit for a seed
bed, and the. .shrewd plowman will
raise his plow and turn his furrow
above it.
This is not always an easy matter.
The tendency Of the pillow in early
spring Is to go deep into the moist soil
that has been l0osened by FROST and.
water. Yet with almost evai.y croD
planted in spring shallow blowing is
better than deep, especially on I'M
drained land. The roots Of crops can
penetrate to the subsoil better after
they have good start on the surface
than they can start in 1t when 1t has
been brought up cold and damp to be
made into a, seed bed. u !.
II the land is rich and has natural
or artificial under drainage deep plow-
Ing for some crops may be allowed,
But even here IL the surface is naked
1t is better to plow such land twice.
turning under in the first blowing
what finely pulverized soil the freez,
Ing of winter had prepared, and In the
second blowing bringing this up and
mixing 1t through the entire depth of
the furrow. This second blowing
ought nearly always to be done with
gardens. II manure has been spread
over the surface; the second blowing
Is needed to mix 1t through the soil.
This repeated stirring Of the soil early
in spring opens it to the warmer sur
lace dir and encourages the forma-
tion Of the nitrates. the most stimu-
lating manures for all plant growth.
The blowing OF sod ground In spring
ought always to be shallow. Even q
clover sod does not need to be plowed
deeply. The roots Of crops will fol
low the decaying clover roots into the
subsoil. 1t does not need to be turned
up. II the sod be grass, and especially
Of June grass, its blowing ought al
ways to be done In the fall, and then
not very deeply. Only by turning up
the roots Of June grass late In the fall
for the frost to mellow the soil around
them they can be killed sufficiently to
make a good seed bed.
We have known even a field filed
with Quack roots to be prepared 30 az
to grow corn by turning the soil rath-
or deeply In the fall, 90 as to bring
most Of the guack roots near the sur.
face, where the winter freezing and
thawing will kin many Of them.
Hardy as the quack root is while deep
In the ground, 1t cannot stand freez,
Ing and thawing several times In the
winter when brought to the surface.