The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1909-03-05
deep or shallow Flowing.

In regard 10 the question of dSp ~
shallow plowing. according To ". T.
Gilbert. Of Il Canadian experiment sta
ton. 1t is essential TO discriminate
clearly between deep blowing AMI deep
stirring. There Is "A vital difference
oetWcen the two "a much 80 that.
whereas perhaps not II farmer In "A
hundred could from his practical cx-
perienre urge the adoption Of the form
er. there must be very few who could
not con~scientiously speak favorabjS al
thc beneficial influences Of the latter.
Much, Of course. depends upon The
nature of the land. and particularly ~
tGe subsoil but the stirring Of h ia.
tor ta a depth If even TIVE inches or
three inches below the ordinary t9r-
row can scarcely fail 10 have a useful
effect Ia |prauoJifs the prosperity of
..4 succeeding crops. for the reason
that the plant roots to extend over a
large area require less exertion In
search of nutriment and moisture,
Obviously il must be "A very friaae
subsoil that would not derive benefit
from deep stirring at occasional In
~teryals.
The objection 10 deep blowing, on the
other hand. is that instead II loasea.
Ing the sabeoil aud leaving Il whore
1t war II brings II 10 the surface AID
involves the hurying Of the more Ter
tie top soil 10 a depth at which the
Hutrlmeut II contains Is available 20 the
plants only after they may be said 10
have emerged from the delicate aud
preearious stages Of development.
The new soil tina is brought 10 The
top would, ia the course Of time. no
doubt. become as mellow In texture and
n rich Ia elements Of plant food as
that which 1t has displaced. but a Ger
tain period must elapse before this eaa
b. accomplished.
In the meantime. the farmer brings
this hungry soil 10 the surface AMI
inclrs the risk Of reaning inferior crops
until by heavy expenditure in tillase
and liberal manuring he has enriched
and refined The new surface soil.
Deep blowing, therefore. IL In aver
a4e cases To- be- avoided for the two
fold reason That II Involves diminished
Yields and increased expenditure 10
the farmer for AZ least one rotation.
Scientifically - well as practically
the bringing up of the subsoil 60 the
surface II dIsalyantageons. As Is now
generally known. the fertility and Yield
Ing properties If a soil are largely
regulated by the action Of useful bac-
te-!a therein.
But for the presence and activity
Of the variou. mIero-organislns Ia tie
and crop production would be nnproft.
able. II not impossible, and consequent.
Is bacterial life may te aid 10 con
stitute the very essenee Of fertility
Having regard In this fact. IL Is neees
sary to consider the conditions thu
are most conducive To bacterial activity
Numerous searching investigations
have shown that the fertilizing bacteria
are much more plentiful In the surface
Of the regularly cultivated soil than lr
The lower strata. Therefore, the I'm
portanee Of retaining the soil tia'
teens with bacterial life on the sur
face Is evident and indisputable.
II this soil, In which the beneficial
; micro-organisms are constantly fuIfli
[ Ing their Indispensable functions. Il
: buried below soil In which bacteri:
are comparatively scarce il is elea
; that unfortunate consequences must re
suit.
i On the whole. deep blowing il I'm
J. profitable and highly inadyisable oI
ordinary soils, but On the other hand
: suIeoil stirring nay be Of great beneli
u under normal conditions.