The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-11-14
UNION DEPART
MENT.
Edited by M. G. Mckenzie and w. G
Barker.
TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION IN
NOVEMBER.
Deep Fall breaking of Land.
(By c. r. Hudson.)

10y -. ". AAuuSOL.J
THE following is sent by :,
Prof. l. o. Schaub of the A. and :
NJ. College, Raleigh, special !
agent in extention Of the farm .
ers' cooperative demonstra-
ton work, as the outline for !,
discussion in Farmers Union
Locals for November. The out
line was prepared by Mr.. c. R.
Hudson. Prof. Schamb sug-
gests that each Local appoint
three of it's members to discuss
this topic. They should be mott
fed at least one meeting before
the time for discussion so that
they may have time to secure
the bulletins and prepare them
selves. A request on a postal
card will bring the bulletins re-
ferred to at the end of each out
line. -Editorl.
For considerable number of
years Southern farmers have
been trying to produce large,
profitable crops of corn on shall
low soils. The records of corn
growing show that they have
failed. During t his same
period a few of the more pro-
gressive farmers have been
breaking their lands from six to
eight inches, and even to ten
inches, deep, and have produced
from thirty to sixty bushels per
acre at a small cost. For forty
years the average depth of
breaking land in North Carolina
has been about four inches with
an average yield of less than
fifteen bushels of corn per acre.
Last year the men engaged in
the Farmers cooperative dem
onstration work broke three
thousand acres from six to ten
inches deep and harvested a
little over forty bushels per
acre. The cost was about
twenty-five cents per bushel.
Can we not learn valuable
lesson from the experience of
these farmers? Let us study,
briefly, some of the advantages
of a deep soil. One of the most
important problems connected
with corn growing is a properly
distributed supply of moisture.
We cannot have this on shallow
soils. The shallow soil is soon
filled with water during rainfall.
If the rains continue severa!
days, the soil stays saturated
with water. This keeps out the
air. 1.-TWO things cannot occupy
the same space at the same
time). Corn will not grow I'M
less air gets down to its roots
Therefore, the corn fails during
wet spells of weather. The ex'
cess of rainfall usually does
much washing under such con
ditions. When the rains cease
the small amount of water helc
in shallow soil is soon exhaust
ed by evaporation and by being
used by the corn, so that tn
corn now suffers for lack o
moisture. With deep soil thes
conditions do not exist. Whel
rain comes, it sinks down int
the lower parts Of the deep soil
letting the air into the uppe
portions so that the corn con
tinues it's growth. When dr.
weather prevails the deep soil
by having caught previous rains
is able to supply moistur
enough to keep the corn gree
and growing.
In this section we nearly a
ways have a wet spell or DIR
spell of weather during tn
period Of corn growing. On
usually follows the other. TIL
effects of both extremes can (
largely overcome by having
deep seed bed. Then too,
stands to reason that there
more plant food in a deep sc
than in a shallow one.
Some exceptions to the!
statements should be noted.
soil that is filled with water du
ing considerable portion of tt
year is not benefited by de-
blowing. If such soils we
we'll drained, then deep breakir
would be good for them. Mar
marshes and other wet sol
would produce big crops if tn
were drained and deepened
blowing. Loose, sandy land
with open porous subsoils, wit
out any clay in them or und
them are not much benefited
deep breaking. If much hum
is to be turned under on the
then deep blowing gives mu
better results.
The time of deepening the s