The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-11-11

| Owing 20 a very unusual condition OF
! the climate the fall harvesting ol crops
Will soon be entirely over. In many scc-
! tions Of the cotton belt the crops have
already becn harvested and the farmers
can now turn their attention TO the prep
| aration OF their lands for the crops that
/ are to be planted another year. Fan
| plowing. when properly done is an i'm
+! lortant factor in the development Of the
! crops to be planted and grown the follow
| ing year Ordinarily planters are so bust
/ ly engaged with their cotton picking late
/ in the season that no time is lett for fan
| plOwing before the winter rains set in 1t
| is extremely difficult to find favorable
] weather after the first OF January in
| which TO turn the land for spring plant
! ing. All of our red lands are generally
| too wet to plow, and even if the top
| soil is dry, the subsoil is out of condition.
/ The time for deep plowing. especially
| turning. is in the carly fall. October and
| November are the best months If time
/ can be devoted to that purpose. Usually
] the top and bottom soils are in first
i class condition for handling at this period
| of the year. The fertilizer bill is heavy
one, especially to Georgia farmers. and
this condition can be materially cut down
| if our lands are placed in a better con
| dition for tillage. There is large guam
tity of natural plant food lying dormant
| iE our soils which can be made useful
| urder proper methods of preparation and
| cultivation. Not only is this true Of good
tillagc but if our lands arc plowcd deeply
in the fall and put in condition to hold
the winter rains tho dreadful ravagcs
| of drought in the summer which proved
so disastrous this year in many sections
can be checked 20 great extent. The
| hard pan beneath the top soil which can
be easily found in any field az depth
Of about four inches, ought to be broken
through Once through that hard pan
the lower soil begins to soften UP the
| deeper we dig down This hard pan pre-
vents tho rains from descending and
forces the water Off the fields, instead Of
into the ground IS it should go. No
water will flow off field aftcr a hard
rain whore the land has been broken Of
sufficient depth to allow the water to
penetrate. Aside from this, tho finer the
pulverization Of the soil the moro readily
it will yield UP its natural elements of
rlant food If our fields could be made
like ashhank, our crops would be from
twice to four times as good as they now
are on the average.
The time, then, to begin preparation
for the next crop is now, and en- during
the next ninety days Do all the plow-
ing possible, and do it with the proper
kinds of implements, displaying at the
same time the right kind of judgment. It
makes 10 difference if lhc top soil break
Up in heavy clods, they Will an have
melted down by next spring. OF course it
is harder work on the teams, pulling
them in land that breaks UP cloddy, but
it is bettcc to break in clods during the
-I
TURNING TO SUB -SOILING.
, In the great wheat producing States
, Of the Northwest the Dakotas, Mime
, sofa and others, the farmers always turn
their lands IN October. They use double
, disc plows, drawn by six large Percheron
+ horses litchcd abreast to each ploW.
Taye seen as many as six Of these teams
!. at work in one field. The land is turned
to a depth of from y to IS inches, har-
T rowcd and left to stand the winter rains
t and freezes until the following spring
planting of grain or course when such
: land thaws out it is in primo condition
! to produce the best yields possible from
Ithoroueh preparation. We need more oi
such blowing in the South a single disc
is the best implement for this purpose
| except on large plantations, where stock
| is plentiful. Ordinarily a field should b,
| turned to a depth OF five or six inches the
| first year, not throwing too much of th'
! clay on top. The disc turner could bf
| followed in the same furroW with sub
soiler and going as deep as the two
| mules could pull it. This Will give
depth, pulvcrization. and Will also turr
our coils as deeply as is necessary ol
advisable except lands which hav'
have already been turned for gavcra
| nj II soil nc fOl
a few hours tho harrow should bo pu
on and tho subsoiI just turned uD SfOulf
be pulverized to a finish TO Ercvent hard
ching and cementing. If the red clay j.
turned up and left 70 harden, the fielc
may be in a worse fix tho following sprir:
than if tho plo*inG had boon left alone
particularly if the subaoil is damp or vec-
moist These arc important matter
which each farmer must notice and guar
against.
When we undertake to handle our land
as they should be- more than ordinar.
Intelligence must be exercised In Othe
words the work must be done right. els
nature will not respond as she should ]
requires three good mules or horses t
pull disc plow. and or two horse farms
it would be moro convenient and cheape
to use tho double horse turner. In cra
sandy lands the risk Of dacp turning j
nothing like SO great as on our rod lands
on very sandy soils doubt the advisable
ity of deep turning at all. If the land i
not turned in the fall, it is rare that n
seasons arc dry enough to DO the Worl
l without risk after Xmas The question Q
q labor has become a serious one on man
$ farms. and If the land can be put int
e good condition for the next year GRO
e this fall less help can be employed I
S plant and cultivate the same number 2
}, acres a would be required il no nrepara
g ton is made end the land left untouchc
through the winter months. Not only !
this true. but the winter rains falling q
unbroken land washes the soil badly an