The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-30
FALL FLOWING.

There are many advantages in blowing
land late in the fall for the spring crops.
If the deepening of the blowing and the
subsoiling of the land is the object it
can be better done then than at any Other
time. for the subsoil is seldom in a state
that admits of the use of the subsoil
pillow in the early spring. Whether sub
soiling will be of advantage or not will
depend on the nature of the soil. A fiat,
heavy clay soil that needs drainage will
never pay for subsoiling A deep, sandy
soil does not need it. But high, rolling
land which is inclined to wash into gullies,
and has a hard clay subsoil right below
the ordinary run of the plow, will be ir1-
mensely improved by q deep loosening o.
this subsoil The red clay uplands of the
South have washed into gullies because
they have been plowed shallow, and when
the torrental rains CT the South fall
the shallow plowed soil soon becomes of
a creamy texture and the only place Tor It
to go is down hill And down hill :
goes, leaving the red subsol bare ami
forming a gall that soon deepens into
a gully But if the soik is more deeply
dteeheepngniGoS,. JptIf7S90$ 7Sq0$ 1905
plowed, and the subsoiler follows, loosen
ing the clay to a depth of fifteen or more
inches. there is body of loose soil that
will take up the hardest rain without
moving. Then If we add to this shall
low and fat culture during the growing
season, we form no burrows TO gather
head of water to break over and 30
down hill. Shallow blowing and cor
slant clean culture in hoed crops have
made terrace banks necessary in the
Southern urlands, and at times the rain
IS so heavy that the terraces fill ana
overflow and do more damage than II
there were no terraces. With deep
breaking, subsoing and fiat cultivation
which would give no chance for a head
o: water to gather, there would be no
need for terraces. for we believe tlslt the
terraces have caused more gullles than
they have prevented.
But three are limitations to the value
Of the fall blowing In the far North
where the ground remains frozen all
winter and snow covers the land, the
deep fall blowing can be made to mellow
the land finely for the spring planting
without any replowing in the spring
and thus much labor can be saved in the
busy season But in the Middle States,
where there is alternate freezing ana
thawing, and snow disappears at times,
and in the South, where freezing at night
generally thaws the next day, and there
is Tar more rain than snow, the leaving
ing of the plowed land bare all winter
will result in great teaching of nitratcs
from the land ence, while the fall plow-
ing and subsoiling will be of great advar-
tage, they should always be accompanied
with the sowing of some winter cover
crop like rye or wheat or crimson clover,
that will be at hand to catch the fleet
ing nitrogen, and save it in the form
of organic matter to return it to the soil
III the spring This, of course, involves
the additional labor OF repiowing in the
spring. but it will be labor well expended,
and in the longer seasons of the South
there is not the same need for spring hur-
~ as there is in the North Fall plow-
ing, then, we think should be practiccd
everywhere, except on deep, sandy soils,
but we should always take our climatic
conditions into consideration The bare
cotton fields of the South nave lost nearly
as much of fertility in the winter rains
as they have in the growing of crops
Fall blowing. like other farm practices,
needs an admiXture of brains with it.