The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-03-12
Earlv sprinp Flowing.


| Early Spring Flowing. 80
The plowing of the land in spring is
an ordinary matter to farmers, yet 1t
is the most important work performed,
for the reason that the growth Of the
crop and the yield depend on the first
preparation of the soil. The amount
of moisture, warmth and supply Of
plant food is regulated according 70
the capacity of the soil to absorb. re-
tain and yield to the crops the desired
elements necessary to complete growth.
The time has been when potatoes were
planted In the sod. first laying of the
rows and cultivating the crops after
the plants appeared above ground, and
1t may be added that good crops have
been secured in that manner. Never
theless, better results have been OBJ
tanned when the land was plowed and
then worked over until it became fine.
In proof Of the fact that the careful
preparation Of the soil increases the
yield, 1t is we'll known that garden
plot will produce more than a field, al
though the land Of the field may be
fully as rich in plant food as the gar
den plot, but the difference is that
the preparation Of the soil for garden
is usually complete, and when the field
is treated in the same manner 1t will
not fail to show the effects Of the bet
ter preparation. The foundation upon
which all good crops are built Is the
land, and the beginning Of the crop
is when the land is plowed.
Flowing the manure in is one method
of working it into the soil, but all farm
ers do not plow their lands the same
depth or turn under their manure in
the same manner. If the manure is
put under too deep some time must
elapse before the roots of the young
plants will get down to It. 1t will not
be very long before the plants will
find the manure and utilize it, but
early in the year it is very important
that such crop as corn should get
good start. and the loss Of week at
the beginning may have an injurious
effect on the crop should the season
come on dry. If the manure is spread
on the surface and then worked into
the top soil with harrow, the young
plants will be enabled to use them
from the start, and the harrow will
also render the soil fine. Two objects
will be accomplished by so doing
first, the manure itself will be made
finer, and, second, the fneness of the
soil will result in better disintegra-
ton Of the mineral elements existing
therein, independently of the manure,
thus providing the plants with avail
able food at the beginning, and also
throughout the growing season.
Manure that is plowed under will be
very useful at the time the plants
are maturing, but the more rapid the
growth Of the plants when young the
greater their root power and feeding
capacity.
No crop should go into the soil un-
til the ground is warm enough to ger
inmate the seed. Corn that begins to
grow and is checked by cold rains.
on cold soil, will be thrown back in
growth a week or two, or perhaps
more, and it is, therefore, better to
wait few days for the soil to become
warm than to lose more valuable time
in growth later. The warmth will
depend upon the depth and ineness
of the soil and its dryness. A well.
plowed field, that is properly drained,
will become warm several days sooner
than one which has been plowed in a
careless manner. The air enters
porous soil, and the heat goes wherever
the air can enter If the soil is fine the
surplus water can be more easily car
ried of, as it passes down to the SUBJ
soil and reaches the under-drains soon
er, but if the moisture remains near the
surface, by reason Of shallow plowing,
the land will be cold until the season
opens very warm, at which season corn
should then be we'll under way. The
rule should be to plow as early as
the soil will permit. and keep it loose
with the harrow. It is an old remark
that no farmer can harrow a field too
often. 1t may add to the expense for
labor, but the crop will be better en-
abled to derive plant foods, moisture
| and warmth, as the fine soil stores
water that would be lost in summer on
hard soils and gives it to the plants
when 1t is most required.-Philadel.
phia Record. :....-,-....-....