The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-02-02
FARMER AND PLANTER.
An Error I'm Southern Agriculture
that In Gradually Being ReIf-
- gated 20 the Rear.

gated 20 the Rear.
There is no point in which our
southern wheat growers are so lack
ing as in the care they bestow on the
preparation of the soil for the wheat
crop. In all the. southern uplands this
crop is annually becoming of more
importance, as the capacity of these
red clay lands for the production of
large crops is becoming understood.
The hill lands. of the south should
never have been used for the
continuous culture of cotton,
and this error has led to the woeful
washing one sees on every hand. This
washing has been caused not alone
by the continuous clean culture, but
by the way the land has been scratch
plowed. The red clay right under the
surface has never been broken, and
when the southern cloud-bursts come.
the shallow, upper loose portions
gets filed at once with water
and runs away in creamy mass, ex-
posing what is called a ''red gall"
which winter after winter frosts off
and washes away, till a great gull yis
formed. A large part of this wash
ing could have been prevented by bet
ter blowing. Now, if we are to re-
cover these lands, and develop the
wheat and clover on them, we must
start right. Good wheat crops are not
grown on old lands by =, hasty plow-
ing in of the wheat on partly pre-
pared land. There is no crop that de-
mands more careful preparation,
fining and compacting again of the
soil.
The old time fallow for wheat. while
it gave the best crops, has of late
years been superseded by putting the
wheat crop after hoed crop like
corn. The faIiow practice was too
costly in the; time it took. aud the
loss of the use-of the land. Now the
corn crop, as crop to precede wheat,
needs special attention in the begin
ming if the. land is to be ready for
the wheat in the best condition. So
it is well to take time by the fore
lock, and start the preparation of the
land in time. There is nothing that
will work greater changes in the red
clay uplands of the south than deep
,vorl;ng Of tho coil Not r;lr
a .'leers ,r,lo~SS,;.s,. ~ nrge as that
NAV I brln - n, sto;3 s;;a,,sb unaerated
claw bnf = sdeer,, lao.at tho If the CLAW
be,ow wksre .fj,s t,,rn;hr nloy rms
This ia accomnlisbed nv the runn;ng
of the subsoif plow in tbe same fur
row behjnd ta,e t.,r,n,,; =, = ,,lovs Where
real snbs.o;l Nov q not available the
next best thing is to rnn q common
bull-tonone ,,l6vv ;n the gfurrow so ne
to break several inches at least deeper
than the turning plow turns over. The
best time TO do this subsoiling IL IN
thu fall months. The, land ~ tben n
hetter condition. sfor the WORK han ~
the sprjno. and sfhe teams are not co
hurried.
we have never recommended fan
Moving in the south. If the land is
10 be left bare during the winter
but where the object il to deenen the
brea king nv st,1,so;;inp. IL ban he net.
ter done then than at anysother tinae.
It is found that a plowed piece Of
land left bare in winter. teaches fer
tiIity very rapidly. but where some
green crop is ON IL, there.is very lit
tie. if any. teaching. Hence. we should
make snre to add some green crop as
a winter cover. There is none better
for this purpose than Crimson clover.
The deep breaking we advise will al
low the clover roots to get down and
bring up fertility from below. Bat
there has been in MANY places a Diff
vim getting a stand OF this clover.
and when n stand Is gotten. ffiey COM
Main of its Door growth. In the coast
plain section Of this state there. has
- .ys e:,.-. a. - IT,