The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-03-08
PLOWING-THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL
FARM WORK.
Begin Flowing at Six-Inch Depth, and Gradually In
crease to Eight or Ten, Says DR.. Freeman-Use a
Two-HorseP low.
Editors Progressive Farmer:

1t is a little strange that at this day and time
one should think it worth his while to write about
blowing, and especially to farmers.
But do farmers, as a class, know much about
blowing ? l risk the statement that very few
farmers do. The blowing is by far the most i'm
pOrtant and far-reaching work on the farm. 1t
is by blowing we make the soil. On making the
sail and keeping it in a proper mechanical condi-
tlor depends our success or failure as farmers.
More farmers have failed at this point than at
any other.
For a child or any other animal to grow, it
must have a stomach which can digest the food
and put it in such a condition as to enable the
proper organs to take up and assimilate it. This
is true of plant life. The stomach or soil must
be in the right condition to digest the food and
put it in and hold it in the condition for the plants
to feed on. The plant has to have all its food in
liquod form before it can assimilate it. The little
r~oOtlets run out into the soil and drink up the
liquid food, if it is there; if not there, the plants
fail to get food and it stands there and suffers
for the want of food.
Now, the point is to make and keep the soil in
the best condition to keep this liquid food ready
for the plant to feed on at all times during the
plants growing life. If the plant has no liquid
food present, its life is cut short and a short crop
is the result.
Deep blowing and plenty of decomposing mat
ter are the leading factors in producing this stom-
ach or soil.
How deep? Six inches is the depth to begin to
pillow in all this section. The cow pea and lying
out are the best ways to get the decomposing mat
ter.
Now let every farmer begin this winter to break
his land six inches deep. Next year go seven
inches deep, and so on, until you have made your
soil eight or ten inches. This depth of soil and
enough humus with light cultivation, will keep
your plants supplied with food the year round.
L began two years ago. on a field of heavy sandy
loan, to pillow six inches deep with two-horse pillow.
Last year plowed same seven inches. This land
was plOwed early as / could in spring. At plant
ing time L ran two-hOrse harrow over it, and then
planted with planter. Cultivated with cotton
plOws lightly, used no fertilizer. The first year
the crop was very much increased, and last year
the crop was nearly doubled. | shall pillow the
same field eight inches this year. | have the plow-
man to have a measure in his pocket at all time,
and there is no mistake about the debth of the
pillow. L have had corn and peas on this land for
several years. This was the best corn l ever made.
All land should be plowed with two horse plows,
and where one has only one horse, he should ar
range with his neighbor who has only one horse,
to pillow their lands together with two horse plows.
L asked a farmer the other day what he put under
his corn, as it looked very fine and far better than
other corn near by and on the same soil. His an
swer was: Nothing, but l broke it with two-horse
plow."
If your land is broken only two or three inches
deep, the first rain that comes washes out what
little plant food it has, and your plant suffers.