The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-09-20
The Old Way or the New.

about n old and the new way OF
farming. But very often we do not
have very clear ideas about the differ
ence. We wish now to talk to our
readers awhile about this difference.
The line is in many things very pain,
but in many it is still rather mixed.
What do we mean by the old way
of. farming? We mean the way our
fathers have farmed and taught us to
farm. Some of the chief characters
tics of this old way may be given.
First of all we mention shallow
blowing. We used Cne-horse plows
to break the land and usually plowsed
about an average of three inches,
often less. Again we plowed straight
up and down the hills. These two
things helped to create washes and
gullies and barren hillsides. Again
we plowed when the soil was wet.
And by doing this Ior years We ere
ated a compact layer of clay from
three to eight inches thick which we
call hard-pan. This hard-pan pre-
vents the water from sinking into the
earth, and thus use washing as
well as other damage. 1t prevents
the roots of the plants from going
down into the soil and getting water
and food. 1t locks up the plant food.
That is, it makes it insoluble. 1t cuts
off the water supply from below in
hot, dry Gather, and thus greatly
damages the crops.
Besides creating this hard-pan this
blowing when wet destroys the fertil-
ity of the three inches which were
plowed. 1t makes it into mortar,
which, when dried, becomes sun-dried
brickbats. Countless millions of
these are all over the fields to-day.
Another old way was to burn up
all the rotting vegetable matter On
the farm. This was and is a fearful
mistake. This vegetable matter
would create humus and greatly in
crease the productive power of the
soil.
Another old way was to plant too
much cotton and buy supplies. This
is working backwards. Another was
to turn farms over to renters,
tenants or helpers" and give no at
tention to caring for the soil.
Another was to wait for the stumps
to rot out, and continue to cultivate
stones for all our lives.
Another was and is to depend too
much upon commercial fertilizers.
The result of this old way has been
to destroy the fertility of the soil,
make gullies and bald hillsides and
work hard and living poor.
What we call the new way begins
in breaking the ground from twelve
to fifteen inches, thus making the soil
very deep, for when we have broken
through the hard-pan we strike the
porous strata. When this is done all
the earth needed is at the command
of the root crops. They can and do
go down from four to seven feet seek
ing and finding food and water.
Again we do all the blowing when
the earth is dry. This prevents the
packing and prevents the formation
of sun-dried brickbats. This pulver-
ICES the soil and thus makes the plant
food soluble and available.
Reaction follows. the pillow and the
soil is as deep as we pillow. This
greatly increases the productive
power of the farm
We terrace the fields and pillow on
a level. There are many benefits
that followed from this. This, to-
gether with the deep breaking, holds
practically all the rain water in win
ter and yields it up in summer to the
growing plants in hot and dry times.
We remove all stumps and stones,
thus making it possible to use all
kinds of improved farm machinery.
We plant first of all an abundant
supply of all that we consume upon
the farm. We find it cheaper to raise
corn and wheat and beef and pork
than to buy them.
We raise the cattle, save the ma
nure and make the farm rich, SO hat
we Ire not dependent upon bought
fertilizers.
We give much time and space to
growing and saving grass instead of
all of our time and labor to killing
grass. -
We live at home, diversity our
crops, beautify our farms, pay as we
go, make, cotton largely or entirely
as a surplus crop.
We make farm life profitable,
pleasant, enjoyable, and our children
grow up delighted with the country
home and stay there.
Thus, briefly stated, are some of
the striking features of the new way.
Which will you follow?-Southern
Cultivator.
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