The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-12-18

Upon the inauguration Of the Far
mers' Cooperative Demonstration
Work In the Southern States. It was
found necessary to outline some OF
the fundamental principles Of good
farming and to insist that the tillers
Of the soil becorae familiar with them
and practice them as first step In
the betterment OF farm life. These
principles are as follows:
u) Prepare deep and thor
oughly pulverized seed bed. well
drained; break In the fall to depth
Of 9. 10 or IL inches. according to
the soil. with implements that will
not bring too much Of the subsoil to
the surface. (The foregoing depths
should be reached gradually II the
field In broken with an ordinary turn
ing plough. II q disk plough Is used.
a 10 safe to break to the above depths
at once.)
(2) Use seed Of the best variety,
intelligentiy selected and carefully
stored.
CO In cultivated crops give the
rows and the plants In the rows a
space suited to the plant. the soil and
the climate.
(D Use intensive tillage during
the growing period Of the crops.
(E Secure q high content Of hu-
mus In the soil by the use of legumes.
barn yard manure. farm refuse and
commercial fertilizers.
(C) Carry out systematic crop
rotation with = winter cover crop on
Southern farms.
(D Accomplish more work in q
day by using more horse power and
better implements.
(s) Increase the farm stock to the
extent Of utilizing all the waste pro-
ducts and idle lands OF the farm.
(O Produce al the food reQuir-
Cd for the men and animals on the
farm.
(10) Keep an account of each
farm product. In order to know from
which the gain or loss arises.
II is the purpose OF the Farmers
co-cperative Demonstration work 20
:nsist upon such preparation Of the
soil as will furnish the bes. feeding
grounds for the roots and such as
will provide at all times plenty Of
moisture and food for the growing
plants. II II better to secure 10 or IL
inches Of WE'LL drained. thoroughly
pulverised soil filled with humus than
70 60 deeper at the expense Of less
thorough preparation.
The presence Of heat. air. and
moisture n essential to chemical and
germ action In the preparation OF
plant food In the soil. The depths to
which these penetrate the soil in the
South depend upon the depth Of the
ploushins. provided the soil IL well
drained. There 10 no use In plough
ing down into q subsoil full of
water.
II has been proved without ques-
ton that the roots Of plants pene-
ira. : tho soil deeper and feed deeper
In deeply ploughed land. Thus. in
general. It may be stated that when
the soil is pioughed 8 inches deep
the plants have 8 inches Of food.
when ploughed 6 inches deep they
have 8 inches Of food. aud when
ploughed 10 inches ceep they have
10 inches of food. The fact thar the
bottom portions of tho ploushed land
are as rich In available plant food as
the top portions shows the necessity
OF getting more air and heat down to
them by deeped tiliage.
The soil requirements most essen
tial to the growth of plants are heat
and moisture. Deep breaking insures
air and heat at a greater depth.
For plants to do their best there
must be In the soil a constant supply
Of moisture. so that q film of water
can envelope the soil particles and
absorb nutritive elements. The hair
roots Of plants drink this nourish-
mtnt. II there In any more than
enough to serve as films for the soil
particles and capillary water. there
II too much. and II should be drained
on. This can be determined by dig
ging hole 20 inches deep. II there
In standing water In the bottom OF
the hole. II indicates that there Is too
much water In the soil or subsoil.
The capacity OF q given soil to hold
ilm and capillary moisture depends