The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-24
bout Flowing.

] IT
 It may not be amiss to characterize blowing In relation to fertility of soils as 6 necessary evil. That 1t is me- cessity on the. farm goes without say- ing. but its, indiscriminate use may have a contrary effect from that de- sired. It Is beneheent or injurious, ac- cording to the manner in which it Is done. In breaking a sod or land cov- cred with vegetation, it is generally advisable to invert the sod. but in oot- ton fields it is much better to turn the furrow so as to leave 1t at an in- cline of about 45 degrees, so that in subsequent working there may be an admixture of top and undersoil. Expe- rienced plowmen have no dificulty whatever in overturning or edging the furrow slice as desired. since a narrow, deep cut edges and a broad. shallow cut inverts.
 An important consideration in the use of the turning blow Is the manner in which it should be done. It Is pret- ty safe rule to lay down. that soils sub ject to surface erasion should never be broken broadcast by beginning at the outer edge, and breaking inwardly. as 1t Is inevitable that at the four cor ners or turning points there will be de-
 
 nation of gullies. It Is much better in broadcast blowing to begin In the cen ter of the field or plot and blow out wardly. But 1t is better still to break in lands" the width of which should be controlled by the lay of the field In broken hilIsides, they should be com- paratively narrow, but on gently roll ing land the width may be increased Of course. 1t is contemplated that the lands should be plowed in circles with water furrows having very slight fall, so that excess of surface water may gently flow off, instead of securing. Circling rolling fields is important, fn- asmuch as sheets of water flowing di- Fectly down a hillside Of freshly piow- ed land or even that which is bare of vegetation will form into rivulets or incipient gullies.
 As to when Is the best time to break land for a subsequent crop, perhaps 1t would be more appropriate to ask when it is least injurious to break it. If done in the spring season the soil will be exposed to the frequent rains iTici- dental to that season, and if done in midsummer the bare soil Is subjected to the burning rays of, the sun. which is positive injury, and if deferred until
 
 the entire winter. Therefore, farmers who wish to prove the integrity of their soils should resort to every practicable means of protection. Land plowed in summer for fall seeding to grain or grass should be immediately%sown with peas for the benefit of shade and be- cause after the vines are moved for hay, the soil will be in good condi- tion to receive the seed, though it had been allowed to remain in fallow. to say nothing of the increase of its nitro gen content. If broken in the fall as a preparation for next spring planting it should be sown to grass or grain to bind and protect the soil from winter washing rains and to engage leach able plant food ingredients. As spring is generally for staple crops of corn and cotton. which at that season of the year Is of slow growth and leaves the fresh plowed soil practically exposed to washing rains. 1t is a good plan in listing" to bed out rows every thirty or forty feet to catch any downward flow of water and prevent hillside washes.-Cotton Planters Journal