The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-11-01
SUBSOILING COWpEAS.

| we arc rcjOlCCd to see that our COW
peas this year are heavier than eve
before, especially on the land whicl
was subsoilcd last fall. Ii shows us tl,a
we are on the right line and are getting
ahead. We have one piece Of land
where this is especially noticeable, 10.
cause only portion of it was subsoil-
ed. II is IN old red clay hlll, and con
sidcrcd very poor. The land has been
in cultivation for no one knows how
long, the oldest inhabitants having seen
cotton grown there before the war. Ii
was badly quilted broomscdgc field
two years ago, when we iirst broke IT
up and planted it in watcrmclons.
Last year we had this land in sweet
potatoes, but the crop was very poor,
and after they were dug last fall we
determined to give this field Il thorough
overhauling. We therefore went in
there when the soil was rather dry,
! with two big teams and gave it n plow-
ing and subsoiling that broke the land
fully l5 inches dccp-~all but about one
acre, which was not plnwcd. The
land which was broken we worked
down and sowcd to oats. We were
rather late in getting these oats IN, and
they were badly killed by the cold. In
fact, did not pay to cut.
Now, all this land is in cowpcas.
| The part which was subsoilcd last fall
was rcplowch this fall with Il twister,
and the part not broken in the fall we
turned about eight inches deep with Il
big two-horsc plow: We sowcd Il
bushcl and a half of "Unknown" peas
to the acre, worked them in with Il
cutaway harrow, then narrowed with
smoothing harrow, then rolled.
The superiority of the peas on the
subsoilcd part is very marked, the ma
jonty Of them being fully waist high
while those on the land broken in the
spring and not subsoilcd are not over
| knee high.
We fcrtllizc all our peas with 300
to 400 pounds to the acre Of cheap
chemical fertilizer. An application of
400 pounds 10 the acre of fertilizer
analyzlng 10 per cent. of phosphoric
acid and 10 per cent. potash will double
your crop of vines if your land is well
prepared. This fertilizer can be easily
made by thoroughly mixing together
400 pounds muriatc Of potash with
| 600 pounds Of acid phosphate to
make II ton. This can be applied
broadcast and narrowed in with Il
smoothing harrow after the peas have
been worked in with il cut-away.
The main point IN deep preparation
is to put the land in condition tt
hold water. Plants cannot us,
chemical fertilizers unless water is
present to make them soluble; and her,
Is where the advantage of subsoilins
comes in, if the subsoiling is don,
while the land is dry, or dry enough
so as not to he at all sticky down in
it will not run back together, and |:
inches of soil will hold double tn,
water that eight inches wii.
When the dry weather came on il
August those pea vines on the sub
sollcd portion, whose roots were drcl
IN the ground, keep right on growing
while on the part not Subsoicd They
| remained almost stationary.
write this to show you the advan
tase of putin" your land in the right
condition. Many a disappointment
with commercial fertilizers is due [,
poor tillagc.
This subsoiling is hard work, know
and we cannot do 1t all at once, but ",
can take few acres at time Will,
the general farm work Is not prcssn"
in the fall and the weather is cool
thus making 1t easier on The stock. and
by 80 dong gradually get our land int"
better condition.
All through thc Piedmont section
where the land or subsoil is red clay
and naturally well drained, suhsoiling
will pay and pay well.
i. j. MERRIAM.