The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, October 28, 1908, Image 2
KEP FALL PLOWING.
IHK ADVANTAGE* OF THOROUGH
PREPARATION OP LAND.
Aa Important Bulletin Issued In Con
emrtfcm With the Farm Detnonstra
m*m% Wurfc of oho Agricultural De
mm Ian ill In the Southern Statin.
At the romemncement of the Farm?
's* Cooperative Demonstration Work
i the Southern States It waa found
try to outline the fundamental
Inclples of good farming and to in
I that the tillers of the soil should
familiar with them and prac?
tice them as a first step In the better
eaont of farm life. We have pre?
viously staled these first principles,
but poavtMr they should be more ful
tjr explained.
of the Seed Bed.
Prepare a deep and thoroughly pul
wexta? seed hod. well drelned; break
la the fail to a depth of t. 10. or 12
according to the soil, with Im
lenta that will not bring too much
of the subsoil to the surface. (The
fWregToJag depths should be reached
ertwdaaiir i *
The presence of heat, air and moist
ears is essential to chemical and germ
action 1st the preparation of plant food
aa the eoil. The depths t? which these
ponetret? . the soil depend upon the
depth oft eke plowing, provided the
anal is well drelned. There Is no use
aa plowing down into a subsoil full of
oraler.
It has beee proved beyond question
the roots of plants penetrate the
deeper and feed deeper In deeply
lend. Thus, in general. It
e# stated that when the soli Is
auD*.?*d I Inches deep the plauts have
9 laches of food; when plowed t
tarhee deep, they have I Inchea of
and when plowed 10 Inches deep
have 10 Inohen of food. The fact
the bottom portions of the plow?
ed land are eot ts rich In available
eeant food aa the top portions shows
Che necessity of getting more air and
heat down to them by deeper tillage.
The moat essential condition for
fertile soil Is a constant supply of
seetsture, so that a film of water can
oaves lop the soil particles and absorb
nutritive elements. The hair roots of
plants drink this for nourishment. If
is any more than enough to
aa films for the soil particles
capillary water, there Is too much
id it should be dreiaed etL Thle
a be determln. . by digaing a hole
> Inches de??p If there ts standing
in the bottom of the hole. Jt In
sUrmtea to much water in the soil or
ist
capacity of a given ?oll to held
and capillary moisture depends
how finely It Is pulverised and
the amount of humus In lt. Un?
lands retain but little water,
?agely pulverised soll I Inches
awp cannot store enough to make a
euro p.
1? en Southern 8tates there are ev?
ery year periods of drought, some
etaeea serious, but generally sufficient?
ly protracted to reduce the crop. The
remedy for this Is Increased storage
*tty for moisture. This can be
?mpltshed by deep and thorough
and by filling the soil with hu?
man (partly decajed vegetation.) The
sunset of dwep tillage has been ex?
plained. The eaToct of humus Is to
ry Increase the storage capacity
the soils far water and to reduce
tporatton. A pound of humus will
seven end one-half times as
meletare as e pounl of sand,
the sand will lose It* water by
iporstlo? three and one-half times
re rapidly then the humus. A
assy soli will store only iboat one
fourth ss much molstuie as humus,
ami wM lose It by evaporation twice
aa rapidly.
Fiaats use an enormous quantity of
Ae acre of good corn will ab
'b aad evapornt" during its growth
arty It Inches of water. About
ree-fenrths af thu amount will be
ilrod durin? th* last seventy-five
sums of Its growth, or at the rate of
? 2-fc leches of water a month. This
ta In addition to evaporation from the
anil, which, even with the retarding
rafluftoce of s du t mulch, will amount
in several Inches ? ich month in mid
summer la ca?e the land is plowed
only S or I Inches deep, though thor?
oughly puller Ire) it will store un
Mint of niols um- enthely Insuril
int lo pjpply cr?'p i ??' i u I re men ts in
protracted ilrought These xli I
and g?-o? i i is po >rlv prepared
id IhmIh nr.. th?- principal cauic ?.f
1 ?w corn y'elds In the >'< nth. u \
aff.-et the cotton ) hlils similarly,
i, ,i at much, because cotton I* a
?I: ought reMlstlng plant than
If planting is done at all. It is
fJeSy ? i para a seed bed so shallow
SM to brii'K about tin- alm??-?t total loss
?f the erep s?get rears aad a reduoed
>p ev??ry year.
ejaj > Bspeeers plea et tuHlva*
corn neail\ a? iho-ply m lies
their Und In preparing a seed
Bed. Ihl* I'-mn'h no wp.n for rootH In
ejse sta)vorlned und ulrrd soil. Roots
mmcm>\ff n lerge space. If all the roots
en? e single vigorous tersauaJsl were
nla</J end to end th. y would reach
more than a mile, and If allowed by
the plowing they will fill the soil to a
considerable depth and feed In a'.l
'portions of It
The Hoot 8, stem of Corn.
At the Wisconsin Agricultural Ex?
periment Station It was found that
when corn was 3 feet high the rots
had penetrated the soil for 2 feet and
thoroughly occupied It. At maturity
the roots were 4 feet deep. At ths
time the upper laterals were about 4
Inche; from the surface.
At the Noith Dakota Agricultural
Experiment Station the corn roots had
penetrated 3 1?| feet deep and ful y
occupied the ground ninety days af?
ter planting.
At the Minnesota Agricultural Ex?
periment Station the corn roots had
penetrated 12 Inches deep and had
spread laterally 18 Inches eighteen
days after planting. In most por-1
tlons of the South nothing less than
an 8-lnch seed bed will Insure even
a fair corn crop, and 10 Inches Is I
safer. Some soils may require more.
From I to 8 Inches of preparation for
cotton corresponds to 8 snd 10 Inches
for corn, so far as the requirements
of the plant are concerned.
What la Deep Plowing?
Plowing 3. 4. 6 or 6 incnes deep In
only common plowing. In our In?
structions nothing less than 8 Inches
Is considered "deep" plowing. We
are not advocating a single plowing
of 8 Inches In depth once in two of
three years, but the preparation of an
8-lnch seed bed thoroughly pulverised
and filled with humus. It should be
plowed and crom plowed to a depth,
or If cross plowing cannot be safely
done on account of hills, then It
should be 'plowed twice In the same
direction and disked thoroughly or
ths smoothing harrow repeatedly
used.
When Shook! This) Plowing Be Done?
Always plow in the fall before the
winter rains set in; the earlier after
the first of October the better. Al?
ways use a cover crop of oats, barley,
wheat or rye, If possible. Every ob?
servant farmer has noted that seeds
germinate more quickly and .that
plants grow more rapidly on fall
breaking than on spring breaking.
Fall plowing renders more plant food
ready for use. while the preparation
of the land in the fall saves work In
the spring, when everything on the
farm is crowding. A cover crop Is a
net gain. It keeps the soil from wash?
ing, it utilises the plant food that oth?
erwise might escape Into the air. and
It adds humus. The soil Is improved
by the crop and more grazing is pro?
vided. In plowed land the loss of
plant food Is less than In unplowed
land; more plant food may be produc?
ed and more can be stored. In case
a cover crop is used the loss of plant
food is slight.
An objection is sometimes urged
that fall-plowed soil becomes saturat?
ed with water during the winter and
remains wetter and colder later in
the spring than land left unbroken In
the fall. This is true only upon land
not sufficiently drained and where the
breaking la shallow. Water passes
through deep breaking readily, and
with reasonable drainage it is ready
for planting earlier than lands broken
In the spring.
When land Is nearly level and
drainage poor, the soil should not be
fiat-broken, but left In ridges or nar?
row lands about 6 or ? feet wide,
suitable for planting, with a dead fur?
row between. This provides winter
drainage and keeps the pulverised soil
out of the water, whleh is Important
even if unbroken.
Deepening the Soli.
The advice to go down gradually Is
given solely because the inexperienced
farmer r..ay try to plow too deeply
the first time and bring to ths surface
too much of the subsoil. The best
plan Is to double plow; that is, to
follow the breaking plow In the same
furrow with a narrower plow or a
scooter (with tides removed) and go
down as deeply as deshed. Generally
the disk plow may be sent down 8 or
10 Inches with Impunity in the plow?
ing Is done in the fall, and especially
If the land Is plowed twice or more.
There It no question ubout break?
ing an I pulverizing to a depth of 8
to 10 or Iii inch 's is economical. The
aost of breaking 10 Incres deep when
done wltht a disk plow should not be
more than 50 c?-nts an aero In execs*
"f break tag* I to* bei deep. Whether
? plant has plenty of food all the tiim
or only part ef the time makee Ihe
difference between a good crop and i
it crop,
is ii AdvU ihie to i?iow Dcppet Than
k. in or laches?
The depth of plowing must be de?
li rmlned I > the farmer hlmw if, n
knows th?> conditions and hi ths best
Judge "f th.- towt. In many sections,
if done in th. f ii it undoubtedly peyi
to tubsoll || or |0 lachen This has
bt ea proved by some of tin- best
t ? rm< 11 end i gperlmenters In th
world, Some sueeotla in humid c;i
ms??-? have !?? i n made ho close and
eompacl by Ihe abundant rainfall that
air does not penetrate them I ? aid In
preparing plant food. Such fields,
therefore may not show any benefits
of subsoillng until after two or more
>ears. ( |
E?cCO
ED 1867
LOCATED IN THE HEART OF-;
MOND, VA*
?Tir
PROMPT SHIPMENTS.
2 ?alt.
$4.50
4 50
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3
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HOLWNT GIN?Br^t Gin ?old ?rtM?*ow Dr?ol?W' ono?, than always .... 2.60
APPLE BRANSY-Thls y."? crep, but 7t'i PURE* BRANnv2 60
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to- _ . ^#m* ** ?? nalhPlnta of Any Above Brand* In Plain Care* S7J50.
We prepay express Cur*? at these prices -d guaran^ safe delivery. WV * for complete price list, as these are only a few brands.
Send Money (hier or Registered Letter with order. y Drauoa.
A. HATKE & COMPANY,
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It rarely pays to subsoil in the
spring, and it is never advisable to
use the subsoil plow when the subsoil
is fully saturated with water, even
though the surface be fairly dry. Un?
der such conditions of plowing the
clay subsoil is pressed and packed,
when the object Is to pulverize it and
allow the air to act upon It.
Experieni'e Agrees With Theory.
No principle in agriculture has
been more thoroughly demonstrated
than the value of a deep, thoroughly
pulverised seed bed.
The Romans plowed on An average
9 Inches deep?always three times for
a crop, and in stiff lands nine times.
They did not call 3 inches "plowing;"
it was only "scarifying."
The Flemish farmers were the first
to follow the better lines of agricul?
ture after the Dark Ages. They de?
voted their efforts to three main
points: (1) The frequent and deep
pulverization of the soil, (2) the ac?
cumulation of manure, and (3) the
destruction of weeds.
A deeper and more thoroughly pul?
verised seed bed was the foundation
upon Which England built an improv?
ed agriculture, and this principle has
been generally accepted there for
more than one hundred and sixty
years, until the average production
has increased nearly five fold.
A late letter from Hon. William
Saunders, direceor of the Central Ex?
periment Farm, Ottawa, Canada,
states that farmers usually plow shal
lowly Immediately after harvest (Au?
gust) "to preserve moisture and de?
stroy weeds.* ? ? In October they
commonly plow 8 Inches deep. Any
plowing done in the spring months Is
usually shallaw not more than 6
Inches deep." Eight Inches of break?
ing in October in Canada, where
frosts penetrate 3 to 4 inches deep,
is better for moisture storage than
plowing to a depth of 15 inches in
the Southern States.
The writer has vlsted a number of
Southern agricultural colleges this
year. In every case the directors of
their experiment stations favored a
deep and thoroughly prepared seed
bed.
The Georgia Experiment Station
bulletins repeatedly urge a deep, mel?
low, and rich seed bed foa> corn, and
they insist that if the soil is not nat?
urally such it should be made so by
deep tillage and the addition of hu?
mus.
Bulletin No. 63 of the Georgia Ex?
periment Station, on "Cotton," states
that "'fourteen years of experimenta?
tion have Justified certain conclusions
that may be accepted as practically
final." The following Is one of them:
"Thorough breaking and commingling
of the upper soil, gradually Increasing
the depth to 8 or 10 Inches, using
plow and harrow, is more effective
than deeper but less thoroagh pulver?
izing.
On the sugar plantations of Louis?
iana the tillage for cano averages 12
to 15 Inccs In depth.
On the Eva plantation, In the Ha?
waiian islands, the average depth of
plowing Ii Inches, This plantation
produces tin- largest crops of sugar
' ane to the acre In th world.
in tin- Farmers' Cooperative Dem?
onstration \\'<?ru the Importance of :
deep and throughly p epared seed
bed like .i garden has been most
widely demonstrated, Thousands of
tests have been made each year i?>
exact and painstaking farmers to an
extenl tii.?t leaves n>> possible room
for doubt as to the great value of u
deep and thoroughly prepared seed
bed.
Concretely stated, :i deep, thorough?
ly pulverised seed bed tiii<<i with hu?
mus has tin- following advantages:
(i > it provides more food, because
It Increases chemical action and mul?
tiplies bacterial life In a larger body
of soil. I
(2) It stores more moisture and Jt
loses its moisture less rapidly on ac- I
count of the cooler lower strata and
the presence of more humus.
? (3) It Increases the number of!
roots that a plant will throw out.
(4) It allows plants to root deeper
and find permanent moisture.
(5) It largely obviates the necessi
ty of terracing, because it holds so '
much water in suspension that heavy
rainfalls will go to the bottom and be
held by the drier earth above until
they can be absorbed by the soil.
(6) Humus enables the soil to store
more moisture, Increases its tempera?
ture, makes It more porous, furnishes
plant food stimulates chemical ac?
tion, and fosters bacterial life.
Exceptions Due to Conditions of Soil'
and Subsoil.
(1) Never plow below the line of
standing water in the soil, because the
subsoil cannot be pulverized In wa?
ter. The water level must first be
loered by drainage.
(2) Do no deep fall plowing on
light sandy land on dry, semiarid
plains, and this especially applies to
elevated sandy table-lands. Such
lands can be helped by adding humus
and using a winter cover crop of du?
rum wheat.
(3) Do not plow deeply or subsoil
in the spring. The subsoil is gener?
ally too full of water, and it Is too
late for much effective action of the
air upon the soil and for winter rains
to firm the subsoil before planting for
cotton.
(4) Thin gray soils underlaid with
yellow or stiff clay near the surface,
most of the post oak flats, and the
comparatively level coast lands should
be broken In ridges (buck-furrowed)
5, 6, or 7 feet wide, according to the
crop to be planted. Cotton and corn
may be left thicker in the row to off?
set the wider space between the rows.
The dead furrow between the rows
should be double-plowed and made as
deep as practicable, with a good out?
let for the water. This method will
gradually deepen the soil, increase
drainage, reduce washing, and give a
larger and deeper body of loose, aired
earth for the roots. This plan Is ex?
cellent when surface drainage Is nec?
essary. Soil to be live and friable must
be kept out of standing water winter
and summer.
The sugar planters of Louisiana all
use the ridge method ( generally 7 feet
wide) both for sugar cane and corn.
The dead furrow is as deep as a plow
drawn by 4 or 6 mules can penetrate
at the last breaking. This gives an
average depth of tillage of 12 or 16
inches.
The adoption of the ridge method
on demonstration fields in the Yazoo
Delta in 1H06 increased the yield of
corn from 14 bushels per acre to 70
bushels. No fertilizer was used.
Winter Management.
In case no winter cover is used the
soil should be disked or harrowed two
or three times during the winter, pro?
vided it is dry enough. Qlve good
drainage to all parts of the field.
Any cultivation done after the deep
fall breaking should be shallow?not
more than or 1 Inches deep.
s. .\. Knapp,
Special Agent in Charge.
A pproved:
B. T. Galloway,
Chief "f Bureau.
BepU mber l '<, 11108.
Woman Interrupts political Speaker.
*A well dressed woman Interrupted
n i?<tiitie;"i speaker recently by contin?
ually coughing, if sh<? had taken Fo
ley's Honey and Tar it would have
cured her cough <iui< kly ami expell?
ed the cold from her system. The
genuine Foley's Honey and Tar con
tains no ophites and is in a yelh
package. Refuse substitutes. W.
Sibert
AM
Cecil's Business School,
Sumter, S. C.
A Practical Course in Penmanship, Letter Writing,
"Short Cuts" in Mathematics, Bookkeeping, Shorthand
and Typewriting. *
The famous ''Budget System" (Sadler Rowe) is the course in
Bookkeeping, and Barnes' Brief Course in Pitman is the text on
Shorthand.
This School is thoroughly equipped and up-to-date in ever
respect,
Write for further information.
Cecil's Business School.
Over Folsom's Jewelry Store.
emmrnsv
I Tl
THREE FINE PRIZES.
THE Carolina Furniture Go. has one
of the best selected stocks of
Furniture ever seen in Sumter,
and is making prices that cannot be du?
plicated here. In addition to the close
prices, THREE PRIZES are given to
customers.
Every Saturday Night
Viz: 1st.?$5 Picture; 2nd.?$3.50 Lamp;
3rd?$1.50 Lady's Brooch, Eierycusto
tomer has a chance.
Gall and learn particulars if you are
in the market for Furniture and House
Furnishings.
HORSES: AND : MULES
Another Car Just Arrived
WAQQN8?
We are still selling Wagons at Cost.
BUILDING MATERIAL?
Our usual Complete Stock.
SEED OATS?
Appier and Red Rust Proof Seed Oats.
Booth-Harby Live Stock Co.
Consolidation of ant1 Successors to Booth Live Stock Co, and A. D. Harby.
I'MtaiJjY wounds his sisti.il
nu 1.. prevent him from coming tmt
land v" doing she was shot.
Joint 11 ii-Iof Liberty I m*s Pistol j Hughes was arre
w ith IVrhapg Fmu? 1trM.lt* on Mr-. -
.1. \. Hunter. Married Man in Trouhir.
Liberty, Oct 23.?.l.-lin lluclus. :? .A nisnrj,.,i m who permits any
white man, shot ami iat;ill> \\<?unih*<l | nicmhor of the family t>> take nny
his stater Mr. j \ Hunter, this thing except Foley's Honey and Tar,
J ' , . ? I for roughs eolda and lung trouble is
' v. nlng, the, ball striking lo r in tln? ^ neRiect. The genuin? Pole*!
f rehead, hmgiug upward through Honoy anj Tar contains no opiate*
h^rir brain. and Is in a yellow package, W. WT.
Hughes was int--sir it. ,1 an.l had I Sibort. _
gone iU his hr-.tln r- n-law's house to . - - "
ftt . ptm.il ... Kill .1,- n,.,r*1 S.v.,.-> th???nd A?? omt
Jhrter with ?..mo was try-ifMted ... Canada In IKOb