Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-03-04
POINTS ON FLOWING
By Prof. ". M. Shoesmith, Ohic
Agricultural College.

Flowing Is practiced mainly for two
reasons-0 the turning under Of
stubbe, manure, weeds and other
vegetable matter, and (2) the pulver
lzation OF the soil. II manure and
stubble are left on the surface of the
soil they prevent the proper opera
ton of surface working implements;
and, furthermore, they decay very
slowly. If manure is mixed with the
soil, 1t soon decomposes and becomes
available for the use Of crops. Plow
ing also makes the soil more loose
by giving 1t better drainage and by
making its capacity for holding water
greater.
However, the chief object in blowing
is not the Incorporation of vege'
table matter, but the pulyerization OF
the soil Much Of the plant food in
the soil does not exist In forms direct
~ available for the plants to use, but
is made available by the action of
certain bacteria and by certain chem.
teal processes, both Of which require
the presence of oxygen or air. The
soil which has not been plowed for
several months and has been packed
by the rain contains very little air
and allows very little circulation OF
air through the soil The soil that
has not been plowed for some time
Is not in the most favorable condition
for the development of roots and is
usually so hard that much of the rain.
fall runs off, and the amount Of cap.
Hilary water that it can hold Is
relatively small. The first step in the
pulyerizatlon, loosening, aeration and
gweetening of the soil can best be
lone by use of the plow
If the purpose of blowing is chiefly
,ho soil, you will readily see that the
blowing which completely inverts the
furrow slice and lays 1t over fat, or
that which sets the furrow slice near
" on edge, but does not pulverize
# into fine particles, is not ideal plow-
Ing. The type Of blowing as regards
the breaking up Of the furrow slice
does not depend so much however,
upon the way the pillow is handled in
the field by the plowman as upon the
kind of pillow, especially as regards
The shape Of the moldboard or the
curved portion which turns the furrow
slice over. If you will motto several
plows Of different makes. will see
that there is a marked ence In
the shapes of the moldbe ds. The
plows whose moldboards are most
curved usually pulverize the soil most
thoroughly and are the kind that
should always be used for blowing
stubble fields and all fields not In sod.
In sod fields the plows with ex-
tremely curved moldboards break the
furrow slice into so many short places
that the sod is not all turned over and
killed, and 1t Is better to use a pillow
with a somewhat straighter mold
board and depend more largely upon
the disc harrow and other surface
working implements for the pulveriza,
ton.
We have often noticed that the soil
70 depth or nVe or Six lnches, or 10
the depth It has been plowed, is much
darker IN color and is more porous
and Is usually less sticky when wet
than the subsoil, or that below the
depth OF blowing.
The dark surface soil is more fertile
and will produce better crops than
the subsoil Under most condt
lions it would be better II the depth
of the surface soil were increased.
Another essential Of ideal plowingg
then IS that 1t shall be deep. How-4
ever the depth should not be increased
more than about an inch in one sea-
son. as too much of the subsoil brought
to the surface might result In a poor
physical condition for several years to
follow. -.-.A--.----4l-.- II