Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-12-25
FARMERS co, OPERATIVE WORK.
How to Begin the Work. A Better Seed
Bed for Field Crops.

\PAo"AASJ
soil thoroughly pulverized-plenty
Of humus, vegetable mould or
barn-yard manure, and good
drainage. These conditions are
just as essential for profitable
field crops rs for the garden.
The deep breaking for field
crops should be done in the fall,
and should not be less than eigth
inches deep-ultimately the pro-
gress1ve Southern farmer will try
to average ten to twelve inches.
The objection is urged that to
turn up 80 much poor soil at once
will ruin the land. It is not pro-
posed to turn it up until 1t has
been aired a few years. The way
Is to use a common turning pillow
run at the usual depth; then in
the same furrow run a second
pillow, a trihe narrower, just be-
hind the first pillow, using another
mule or span Of mules. If the
first pillow cuts four inches deep,
the second should cut four more,
making eight in all. If the land
will permit, cross pillow four inches
deep thirty days later; then har-
row. In dry sections the harrow
should always fellow the plow.
Of course, cross blowing is not
admissible where ride cultivation
must follow.
A better method than the
double blowing above described is
to use a sub-soil pillow or a disc
pillow, as neither of these imple-
ments throw any sub-soil to the
surface. The disc pillow is more
economical, because it does the
surface and sub.soil stirring with
one instrument.
The air penetrates as deep as
we pillow the more plant food is
prepared by the action of the air
and more moisture is carried in
the soil to withstand drouth.
Deep Fall blowing then is a great
aid in breaking up the compounds
Of the soil, in preparing plant
food, in storing moisture and in
warming the soil for early plant
ing. Where there is winter frost
deep blowing increases its effect
on the soil.
A thoroughly pulverized seed
bed is a long ways towards a good
crop. On heavy soils the roller
and disc harrows are almost in.
dispensible to crush the clods and
pulveriZe the soil.
If this is done four or five
inches deep, SO that the young
plant can get a good start. with
reasonable after care the crop is
assured. A clod is like unplowed
land-it holds little moisture and
yields scarcely any plant food.
The best seed has Little chance in
a poorly prepared seed-bed. A
finely pa~lverized soil aids germi-
nation, increases the amount OF
plant food available, stores more
moisture and is more rapidly pen
etrated by the air and the rays OF
the sun. Even granite rock, if
thoroughly pulverized, will sup
port vegetation.
A third requisite of good pre-.
paration Of the soil is to have
plenty of vegetable matter in it.
This is generally secured by turn
lug under COW peas or green crops
of any kind, Or using leaf mould
or barn-yard manure. Vegetable
matter makes a soil porous, fri
able, easily worked, resistant of
drouths. This vegetable matter
called humus, absorbs and retains
the food prepared in the soil by
che action of the air and heat, and
gives it off to the aplanes as re-
quired. It warns the soil, adding
frequently several degrees of heat,
and it facilitates the condensa :
ton of moisture from the atmos-
phere in dry periods. More veg
etable matter is especially i'm
portant WHARF the texture of the
soil is so fine as to prevent the
free circulation Of water, and
water stands upon the surface OF
the soil so long that it is an
injury to plants.
One of the most essential re-
for Gee in the pro-