The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-12


The harrow is one of the tools that far
mers should study with care in the light
of the needs of their own soil and it's con-
dition when plowed, for narrowing is one
of the most important operations connect
ed with the preparation OF the soil for
crops and is scarcely less so in the case
of such crops as corn, as an element in
the cultivation of the ground after ihe
crop is in, says Homestead. Everybody
does not see the question alike, as, lndeed,
how should they, since the conditions OF
one farmer differ so much from those of
another that their several necessities IN
regard TO it will greatly vary? There are
some soils that are in such a mechanical
condition, and are plowed in so timely
way with respect 10 the moisture that is in
them. that they turn over under the ploW
like a bed of ashes and fall apart with
scarcely a clod in days work Here nar-
rowing is simply question of smoothing
the surface, and a tool that will do this
answers every purpose. On the other soils
the pillow leaves the ground lumpy and full
of holes between the furrow slices and har-
rowing that merely scratches and Levels
the surface does not fill the bill at all.
Narrowing in such cases must consist in
breaking up the clods and cutting the fur
row slices to a sufficient depth to settle
the soil together and make it smooth,
compact seed-bed through which the wind
win not blow and evaporate all the mois-
ture it contains, and which viii present
to the roots finely comminuted soil from
which they may extract nutriment pre-
scented in an available form. Two farmers
whose soil represents these two opposite
conditions scarcely understand each other
when they talk about narrowing. An i'm
plement that satisfies all the requirements
of the one is of little or no use to the 9TH
err and results that are all that are neces-
sary in the one case will in the other be
found worthless.
Outside of blowing matches, where the
best plowmen are on their best behavior,
there is not a great deal of first-rate plow-
ing done on soils that are a little difficult.
We are in the habit of cultivating areas
so large that a days stint is a little too
big to do the work in a really artistic way,
and even the best p,owmen fall into care
less habits, and the result Is that most
fields are full of uneven places, cloddy fur
row slices, balks and other imperfections,
unless the soil should happen to be of
the sort that pretty much plowS itself.
The task of making mellow, well-pulver-
lied seed-bed sufficiently deep to take the
seed at an even depth and give Its roots
q chance to spread themselves without
drying out in the open spaces between the
clods, is not only very important one,
but becomes largely a question of good
narrowing and plenty of 1t. with a tool
adapted to the faults to be overcome. The
narrowing that is done by way of cutiva-
ton, on the other hand, is quite another
matter. 1t Is very necessary, but 1t is
the surface stirring, killing. smooth
ing, moisture conserving kind of
narrowing that is needed, and with an en-
tirey different kind of a tool. The two
kinds of narrowing. In fact, have scarcely
anything In common except the name.