Milford chronicle., 1916-02-11
VALUABLE INFORMATION
ON "SKIMMING The SOIL. "
B. F. B. Woodall, Well Known Farmer,
Who Has Made Success of Farm
ing, Writes for the information
of Chronicle Readers.

of Chronicle Readers.
Well-known farmer. who has made
Success OF Farming, writes for the
| information of Chronicle readers.
Keeping the soil up to a high state
of fertility Is one of the most import
ant problems that taxes the minds of
the farmers at the present time.
The larger profits come from cul-
tivating acres that will produce larg-
er and one or more crops each year.
We must restore if we expect to reap,
but usually we expect to receive in
value a much larger per cent than we
restore back to the soil.
How are we to do this with the
least expense and effort / beliVe IN
no section of our country is it as pro-
fitable to do this as in our eastern.
Starting thirty years ago on forty
acres Of cropped to death" soil, that
one common horse could easily turn
over with a plow the full depth of
four inches, all that the soil would
allow, this soil has increased in fer
tility and produced profitable returns
for these past thirty years. The best
pair of horses or mules is now reQuir-
ed to pull a No. 19 Oliver plow, turn
ing a furrOw ten inches wide and ten
inches deep. The gang or riding plow
has come to stay. so use it with pro-
fit.
Two Ways Of Skimming.
There are two ways of skimming
the soil-plOwing and cropping.
The riding plow is doing the skim
ming in the turning of many acres.
A pair. or even three horses, such as
the owner has, and a man or boy, will
get on and set the plow according to
the team, and how many days the same
team has to plOw. If the soil will al
low only four or five inches. all right. |
but If the fertile soil is six inches. il |
is all wrong. The soil or crop is not /
going to get the benefit from what he |
Is turning under, be it manure, clover |
stubble, COW peas or weeds, as it /
should if the six inches of good soil |
and one inch of sub soil was turned |
up and the vegetable matter turned
down to make that soil seven inches
deep for the next blowing. This
iepth of plowing should be increased
with every vegetable crop that is
urned down. and If this is continued
here is no doubt but that the farmer
will have richer soil and better crops
other conditions are favorable.
Weather Conditions.
There are more failures from our
ack of preparing and treating the soil {
or a crop than from the weather. as {
5 so often our excuse.
What effect does the weather have
n the crop in a deep rich soil? If 1t
) a wet season the soil will absorb a +
lrge amount Of water quickly and {
e in a condition to cultivate much | ?
Ooner, and very often save the crop J
'om destruction by weeds, grass or L
calding. Ii on the other hand the
'eather is extremely dry, the deep
egetable soil will hold the moisture
lueh longer for the deep roots Of the n
rops to thrive from, and will not il
urn or dry up as on a shallow soil. Il
My own experience in this matter
as proven very profitable, therefore Il
few practical points as to the meth H
Is l have persistently followed these
any years in keeping up the fertility fo
the soil, will at least be helpful to
any new beginners. T
Methods l Followed.
As / had to make a living and pay G.
r the forty acres of poor soil, I ht
'ught manure the first few years, as
is is the cheapest complete plant &C
cd for very thin soil, and especially &C
r catching a clover crop. +.
For the past twenty-five years I
we depended upon commercial phos- on
ate and clOvers. There are many
cen crops. such as cow-peas, soy Ike
ans, yetch. scarlet, red and alfalfa pr
overs. All of these are used for lie
y and turning the stubble will keep
soil fertility. Lime properly used El
indispensable with these green Pf
Dps to make plant food available.
How to Use Lime After Flowing. on
The way to use lime after plowing do
to drill or SOW 700 pounds per acre,
d harrow In before a rain, and in no
S way you will get the immediate ter
suits. This amount every three or pc
IT years is sufficient to keep the dir
Id sweet, even II you are turning a at
bible every year. A ton will not Br
ure the soil or crop where the land
rich in vegetable matter, but the Ph
ults are the same as stuffing your Mr.
or an animal one day and starv-
the next-neither are very much Fei
,fit. 1t is the regular and sufficient Ed
ding OF the soil that brings regular
large profits. VIC
have never experienced a year ent
en- my profits we're not greater than
expense, and the farmers ex- wa
lses have increased to a much high La!
percent than many other businesses Sat
shall lime red clover this winter I
spring that will stand over for hay for
seed this year; or anyone who ten
pasture land standing over for an tioI
er year. II It needs lime, now is the era
Q to lime. +
Of the Present Time. job
oung Beginner, you have a hun N
d opportunities and means Of be- Vim
ling a successful farmer that I or
r father did not have thirty years
The Agricultural College, Ex- dou
ment Stations, Farmers Institutes bill
lie schools, agricultural books, had
ers and practical articles, such as hou
but what are all of these to you, the
ng at the desk, II you do not give fort
nractfcal rauufrpmnuts needed / Will