Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-06-15
PlowinC.

There are more points that should
be considered in connection with plow-
ing than many people imagine. First
in order will be few points about
whether it should be riding plow OF
a walking pillow would depend upon
the individual and his circumstances.
If he has large fields and plenty of
horse power, plowing with the riding
pillow may be cheaper. In either case
the plow will pull the easiest that is
shortest from end OF beam to plow
point, other things being equal. Thls
is true because the team hitched to
such plow does more lifting of the
earth and less pulling through it. A
short and deeply concave mould-board
on n pillow is best for plowing sod OF
clay land. This is because it breaks
or cracks the earth that is turned, thus
leaving it mellow. But this kind of
plow is utterly useless in some soils.
1 had n plow of this pattern that had
q most provoking way of sticking to
mother earth when it arrived at GER
tain place in the field. TIE plow was
perfectly bright and smooth, and yet
this particular soil would always stick
to it, filling the mould-board COM
pletely. This side of the field was
fine, loose, mellow, black soil.
When to pillow depends upon the
soil. climate and drainage. Fall plow-
ING for corn would never be good
practices upon very rolling land, on
account of the washing of the soil.
On land where there is no danger of
this anG where the plowed surface
will not puddle or run together in soft
mud, fall pillow ing would be likely to
prove good thing. as it would expose
the soil 20 the action of frost, the best
pulverizer In the world. This would
greatly lmpsove the mechanical condi-
tion of the soil. In addition to this it
would decrease the amount of work to
be done in the spring. We do not
wish to expose our rolling land to the
winter rains, but may derive some
benefit fl jim, the frosts of March.
have ptpwed stiff clay sod in
March and lts d it freeze to q depth of
only one-half inch, and yet it harrow /
ND the first time almost as mellow as
IN ash heap. There would not be
ohite SO much advantage in plowing
clover sodiin March, for the longer
the; ;cloverlis left to grow the more
nitrogen it will accumulate. The
larger the, crop of clover to plow un:
der the more it will enrich the soil. !
In my own case, last spring, early,
Twas engaged in grading the yard
and paintill g the house, things that
had to be done as I built new, house
the fall before. Being busy with
other things I got no plowing done
early. Later it was entirely too wet
to plow. The first plowing that could
be done in this community was April
10. This made planting little latef
than usual. I first plowed the sod
where the clover had been all killed
out ken the clover that was nearls y
foot hiah. This mass of clover greatly
enriched the ground. 1t might have
been different if the season had been
q dry one. after corn was planted. But
as it was, ;,tlle rain rotted and made
the soil available by the time the corn
needed it most.
In the state experiment the depth
of the furrow, whether six OF eight or
more inches, does rot show any effect
upon the crop. While this was true
for that soil and for that season, do
not believe that shallow plowing can
give as good results. 1t is reasonable
that the less soil there is the less
plant food there is, and the less plant
food there is the sooner exhausted
If we always plow the same depth the
tramping of the horses and the pres
sure of the plow packs the subsoil and
makes it impervious' to both water and
plant roots. We should plow to q
uniform depth and we should change
the depth of furrow at each ploI3ing.
We should plow the deepest in the
fall, when subsoil is dryest.-A.' q
Adams in the Epitomist.