The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-18
MORE ABOUT sUBsOILING.

44 4%NC 4SLSSC 1 SO oSSAAANSs
The question Of subsoiiing is begin
ming to attract the attention Of farmers
all over the country a few years ago
when bought q su5soil plow and com
menced TO use it, was made fun OF
Now some of our best farmers and hor
ticulturists are a1vising the use of sub
soil plows.
This matter is one that must be de-
termined by conditions. A deep rich
loam, which the ordinary plow will not
reach through, and those soils with
loose, sandy or gravelly subsoil, would
not be bene flied by subsoiliDg. The
soils helped are those having a stiff
clay bottom, with shallow soil above,
and those having a gravelly subsoil
These require deeper stirring than can
be given with common plows The ob
Jet of the work is to loosen this hard
bottom, and by letting the air get to
the lower layers, they are greatly inn
proved and gradually changed by it
As TO the depth, this will depend large
ly on the soil From 10 to 20 inches lie
advised. l think it would be best in
central OHIO to begin by subsoiling 10
inches, gradually increasing the depth
each time until IL 60 y inches have
been stirred. All the bluff lands along
the rivers and CREEKS have more or less
of this st fl clay subsoil, and where
= 1C-,1, LOo1-oO
long cultivation, subscribing would be
of great benefit aud would largely in,
crease the crops.
Tne woIk is done BY following the
ordinary plOw, running the subsoiler
IN the bottom of the furrow made by
it. The subsoil plow does not throw
the dirt out Or on top, but simply stir5
up the bottom, leaving a loose mellow
b3d IL be covered by the next furrow
Of the first plow. This loose bed affords
good drainage In wet weather, the deep
| burrows carrying II ali surplus water.
In dry weather they will gather moist
ture from both below and above, thus
storing Up 6 supply for feeding the
roots Of crops, much longer than the
same spills will do under cur old system
OF cultivation. So the gubsOiling is
good for either wet or dry seasons, and
If the work is done in the fell, the loose
beds will gather enough moisture to
enable early crops TO bridge over dry
seasons and m AXE a fair yield.
Most farmers know that on much Of
our lana We turn over the top soil and
scrape along on the hard clay Or gravel
bottom, which becomes more compact
each season. 1t is hard to get the pl0ws
down into this hard layer, and if We
could, it is not desirable or prlfi5a5le
to turn the layer up on top. Thus We
see at once the Importance Of the sub
| soil pl0w. Another great advantage
in suks0iiing is that such soils will hold
manure twice as long as long Gs they
| did before There is no chance for the
manure to wash out. It is taken up in
solid and gradually works d. 0Tn in this
| loose bed, where it is held until con
sumed by the growing crops. This let
ting down of the manure and top soil
and air, is the proc IS which gradually
changes the whole character Of the
land, and with pre- per rotation OF
crops and few good crops Of green
manure turned under, we would soon
have a deep rich soil, instead of only a
few inches OF top or surface soil. Sub
soiling has shown its value perhaps
more largely on root crops than on
others. This work on the soils have
described has increased the yield Of
root crops at least one third. The
philosophy of subsoiling is so plain that
we can readily see its advantage, and
it is a practice that will soon become
common.-F. s. White, Iowa, IN Ameri
can Agriculturist.