The farmer and mechanic., 1909-12-14

Sow one and a half bushels Of peas
| per acre and bushel OF oats.
Whilst it is too late to sow any crop
| it is not too early to begin breaking
| the land for the next year crops.
| Whilst the fine open Weather con-
tinues keep the plows at work where
! ever the land is in condition for pIoW-
| ing and plow deep and where needed
| subsOil and turn under all the Vege-
| table matter possible except it may be
a heavy growth of broom sedge which
we would rather burn off when the
bottom growth is wet or covered with
snow. This long, dry straw has very
little value as humus making mat
ter and rots very slowly if the wealth
er continues dry. It is better out Of
the way but should not be burn when
the bottom growth is dry as this is
rich as humus making matter and
should be turned down. If you have
any heaps Of old straw lying around
not wanted for bedding or long ma
nure in the yards or sheds clean all
tLis out and spread it on the land
and plow down. Humus is what all
our lands most need to render them
productive and retentive Of moisture
and warmth. After the lands are
plowed if you can apply ton of lime
to the acre-broadcast-it will greatly
help to put the land into good produc
tive order. Harrow it in lightly after
spreading. We are in hopes that the
Legislature will act upon the sugges-
ton we made some time ago and set
some Of our prisoners to work grind
ing limestone for the farmers as they
are doing with wonderful good re-
suits in Illinois. We should have two
or three mills located the rail-
roads in the Western sections of the |
State to grind the limestone rock there
to be had in unlimited quantities and |
one or two mills located in the Tide |
water section to grind oyster shells |
there to be had in great quantities. |
We hope that our readers will at once |
get after their representatives in the |
Legislature and see that /ley are made |
alive to this necessity. We have to |
compete with the Illinois farmers in |
the markets and ought to be as we'll |
looked after by our Legislators as they
are. They can get lime at less than
one-sixth the price our farmers have
to pay for lime. Make all the pris-
oners whether in county jails or in
the penitentiary earn their living. It
will be good for them both morally
and physically.
The drainage Of all land needing this
work should now be taken in hand
and be continued through the winter
months whenever the weather is fine.
Verv much of our land needs and
would pay we'll for draining but it
is hard to convince Southern farm
ers of this If they do not see the
crop on the land drowned out they
see no necessity for this expenditure
of time and money, and yet much
land which produces some crop would
readily produce three or four times |
as much if the superabundant under
lying water was carried off. 1t is this
water which causes poor
crops and not the water which falls
on the surface. If the underlying wa
ter was drained off the water which
he for u
its way down into the drains and do
no injury. Without these drains it laws
on the surface slowly evaporating or
into the sub-soil until it
reaches the underlying water level and
then stagnates and sours the land.
There is a natural water level or
stratum underlying all land which
maintains this level nearly all the
time. If this be not at least three I
teet below the surface the crops can
not make their best production on that
land. To bring it below this three
1eet IS the object Of draining and
thus to give three feet OF dry land
into which the air can penetrate for
the presence Of air in the soil is as i
essential to plant life as air upon and S
Is water sOgged air cannot penetrate t
and the life of the plant is ENDANGERED.
Make test holes in your fields and find
at what level this natural water table s
ote1HuS. Inc helSht at which water /
stands in the holes will show this If l
this Is not three feet below the sur
race then draining would improve the t
crop producing power of that land.
W Wherever possible to get tiles use these
IN draining land. We regret to say
that tiles are not easy to get in manv
parts or the South. They are not +
made here except at one or two places t
nence cost more than they ought to r
40. but even at the price at which t
Lhey can be bought they can be used Z
very prohtably. Farmers in a coun- c
y ought to get together and put up t
= sIlall tile factory and make tiles for