Middletown transcript., 1898-03-12
Of Interest
to Farmers
FALL OR SPRING PLowINGf

FALL OR SPRING PLOWINGf
Agricultural knowledge has progress
ed further along some lines than others, /,
and SO while we knowa great deal about
the fertility actually used by any crop.
and about the amount OF fertility which
we are able TO turn as manure in our
farm operation, we as yet know very
little about the laws which govern the
conservation in the soil of the three
most important fertilizing elements.
While we know in a general way thai
tillage by friction and exposure of the
soil particles to air and frost, and light
and caTbonic acid tends to make more
readily available the great fund OF
these elements in the soil, we do not
know how far this is counterbalanced by
actual loss from teaching evaporation,
where there is no growing plant present
Immediately to seize and hold this fer
tility thus newly made available.
Whittier fall or spring plowing is to
be preferred turns largely on this un-
known question, one particularly diff
icult to decide, because if experiment
tai work is to be attempted, not only
must the crop grown be noted, but the
drainage waters must be watched, and
(still more difficulty the changes of inter-
iication and identification must be
studied. and perhaps in all agricultural
chemistry there are no problems in
yolyed in greater obscurity than those
which relate to the organic nitrogen OF
the soil, It would seem that in our
present state of knowledge we cannos
saw with any certainty whether or not
the increased fertility made available
by fall blowing, is balanced by thequite
probably greater losses which occur
under such conditions. Culture in q
corn field admits Of no objection, be-
cause the plant is there ready to SEIZE
and fix the liberated fertility, but cul-
ture of a soil which will not soon be
occupied by plants becomes problema-
tical. We may say the fall plowing is
a sort of 'winter falloW," If we use
that term, and whether or not to prac-
tice it will have to be decided by every
man for himself; which means that il
will have to be dectded eventually by
the few most observing and intelli-
gent men of every community.
Here in Schoharie County, upon
rich. upland, limestone soil, there s66m5
to be no difference of opin ion about
fall blowing being most advantageous.
IL gives our rather heavy and some.
times clOddy land a far better mechani-
cal condition, thus conserving moisture,
besides the other well-knOwn advan-
tages OF nice-WOrking soil. Here
therefore our best farmers aim to get
every furrow plowed before the ground
freezes up. So if / had never INST any
conditions except those of this COM
munity, would simply say that the
dufs ion was perfectly settled.
But two years ago | saw and talked
with many farmers of Madison County,
N. Y, and theirs was an exactly op-
posite tale. These Intelligent men,
whose good sense and Judgment 4
could not doubt, protested that fall
blowing was grave mistake saying
that while it was possible for two OF
three years to get larger crops by so
doing, yet the effect was soon disastrous
and permanent injury to the land.
This was not the opinion Of one man,
but the settled conviction Of the ma
jority. y.
So am compelled to believe that.
whatever is the case with us, here was
a section of country where exposing
naked burrows to the elements caused
loss flor reasons not well understoOd)
larger than was compensated for by any
increase in the availability of the lock-
ed-up fertility or by other possible bene-
fits.s So in many other respects, agrI-
cultural practices may differ and ye,
all parties be correct for their condi-
tions.-Country Gentleman.