The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-08-23

n correspondent Oh the 1ouuIy
Gentleman opens bis communication
with an axiom. for IL Is certainly true
that good blowing Is at the founda-
ton OF good farming. All that Is
Eaid about blowing when the soil Is
too wet or too dry applies. OF course,
only to heavy soil containing a large
percentage OF clay. Most OF the
sandy lands of this State can be
pIowed az soon as the rain stops.
without any injury. Florida farmers
have yet to learn that one-horse
blowing does not pay.
Good blowing, Ii has been said. Ia
at the foundation of all good farm
ing; and there is much OF truth In
the statement. A field that is poorly
plowed Is not likely to produce a
heavy crop, and always requires
extra labor in Its subsequent prepara-
ton and cultivation. Land that Is
plowed too wet or too dry ia certain
to be baked or cioddy, and often re-
mains in this condition the season
through. Shallow, careless blowing
has been the bane of this section;
and many a quilted hillside testifies
to the work OF the man who plowed
four inches deep because he was In a
hurry to get through. Down In the
cotton country. where, In many local
tiles at least, the rule Is a darby, a
mule and little one-horse pillow that
turns up from two to four inches of
soil. the damage is equally apparent.
and even more general.
Good blowing and deep blowing
are, however, not necessarily synony-
nous. Some land needs to be turned
no more than four inches, although
1t Is fair to say that there is very lit
tie Of that kind in this section. Land
to be well plowed must De broken to
a uniform depth and be free from
the "skips" and "wallows" left by so
many plowmen. When the soil Ia
too wet to shed, or so dry that It
breaks up in chunks, a good job Is
impossible. The ideal condition is
when the soil as 1t falls from the
pillow crumbles down into a soft,
smooth bed.
This ideal condition Is not always
obtainable even where the land is
smooth and uniform, and where, as
Is often the case with US, one field
may have in 1t a half dozen types
and conditions of soil and as many
differences In topography, the prob
lem Is one of great difficulty. Where
one has to pillow up hill and down,
through alluvial deposits and clay
banks, he must be better plowman
than any with whom ! am acquaint-
ed If he keeps his burrows of uniform
depth and width. He cannot set his
pillow for every variation of soil or
slope, but must strike an average as
best he can. This means that he
may plow eight inches deep in one
place and four in another. Usually,
too, the least depth will be reached
where the greatest is needed. Now
this is very unpleasant state of af-
1a1rs, but 1t seems also to be newt
able. It Is one of the disadvantages
which the man who farms in the hill
country has to contend with. If any
one can tell us any practical way of
surmounting this difficulty I can
promise him the gratitude of at least
one reader, and believe he will have
that of thousands of others.
There are some things a farmer is
said never to appreciate until he has
had and lost them-running water, a
good fruit supply, abundant shade
trees and convenient wood lot. Il
think 1t Is safe to add that the man
who has level land of uniform quail
ity cannot fully appreciate his good
fortune unless he has at one time
farmed on hilly land.-Florida Agri-
culturist.