Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1875 — Flow Deep in the Fall. [ARTICLE]

Flow Deep in the Fall.

Wk cannot conceive of a cheaper metiiod ()f improving land than by constantly increasing the depth of tlie soil with the pkjw.. To turn over a shallow soil deeply, th'rdwing a poor subsoil to the surface upon which small grain is sown, will seldom prove to be advantageous to the first crop, and frequently it is quite injurious. Many a farmer has tried deepening his soil in this manner with results which fdrevever afterward have made him an advocate of shallow' plowing. While no one will deny that a deep soil is better than a shallow one, there are many who cannot be persuaded to attempt deeper plowing than usual for fear of injuring it. Of course, if a man has plenty of manure to spread over the poor subsoil brought to the surface when inverting the soil to an unusual depth fie can remedy any deficiency in fertility; but this is not always to be had where a greater depth is desirable. We have ourselves inverted a poor, thin soil to tlie depth of a foot or more and then allowed it to remain idle for a year, thereby permitting the poor subsoil brought to tlie surface to become mellowed and sweetened, as it were, by tlie rains and frosts of a season, after which it was occupied with crops, and the results were highly satisfactory. But as there are few farmers M'lio would think they could afford this system of deepening their land, we would recommend reaching tlie same end by easy stages, say one or two inches every y§ar or two, until a good depth is secured. Land that is to be sown with grain or planted next spring may be plowed with advantage this fall, by putting tlie plow' down an incli or two deeper than ever before and bringing that amount of the lower soil to the surface. This will tie acted upon by tlie frosts and rains of winter, until it becomes thoroughly pulverized and in a condition to be incorporated evenly with the older-stirred soil in the spring, and with great benefit to tlie succeeding crop. Tlie next time the land is unoccupied in the fall let this deepening process be repeated, and pursue tlie system until a deptli of one foot or more lias been secured. We have millions of acres of old cultivated land which lias never been plowed to a depth exceeding six inches, and as a result exhausted fertility and light crops, unless manure is frequently applied and in large quantities. No man who has ever cultivated plants of any kind upon a soil twelve to twenty-four inches deep will need to be told liow much better it is than one of six inches depth, either in wet or dry weather. We have tried this deep plowing upon various kinds'of soils, from a light sand to a heavy, stiff clay, but never without permanent beneficial results. The only danger to be guarded against is in attempting to deepen too rapidly where there is no manure spread upon tlie poor subsoil brought up; consequently it is best to proceed slowly, going down an inch or two at a tinie and at intervals of two or three years.— N. Y. Sun.