Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1877 — Flowing. [ARTICLE]

Flowing.

Plowing la one of the most important operations on the farm, and it strikes me that if farmers would do this work better they would need less bone-dust and other bought fertilizers. Some plow around the field, leaving a great ridge next the fence; others plow in lands without setting a stake, plowing full dopth from the first, leaving a ridge in the middle that looks like a railroad grade. The only object is to get the ground turned upside down or turned up, no matter how. They drive like blazes, plowing two or 110*60 acres per day, never stopping to turndown a aod. If the plow bounces out they go right ahead, whether it catches within three feet or ten. If the plow runs out at the end all right, or if not, they plow across the end of the land in a half circle. If the plow runs out at tho end, they never stop to place it right, but start in where it happens, cut and cover for several feet, or start in the other furrow and gradually ru# off till they have a full furrow. If such men make a straight furrow from end to end, it is a pure accident. The dead furrow caps the climax. The next to last furrow is plowed full depth and the last one full width. We have seen them two or three feet wide, and so crooked that an old cow would walk on the plowed land rather than follow it. This makes nice mowing and reaping. If men were compelled by law to plow in this way, forbidden to do good plowing, we should hear more grumbling and more boasting about what they could do, than we now hear about hard times. Now let us look at the other side of the picture. A good farmer—one who takes pride in his work—in starting a land will first set up several stakes. Then he draws a furrow perfectly straight, and about onethird the depth he intends to plow the field. There is one thing I forgot to mention ; before he commences the land, he plows a very shallow furrow along each end, about eight feet from the fence, to keep the ends straight. Now we will go back to the land. If he intends to plow the field nine inches deep, he will plow his first furrow three inches; the second furrow should be six inches deep and well laid up on the first. He is not afraid of getting his hands dirty; when the plow fails to turn it perfectly, and he can not get it over with hfe foot to suit him, he will take his hands. The third furrow he will plow full depth. He will keep his furrows all about the same width (about fourteen inches) and depth till he comes to the third from the last, when he begins to plow shallower. Next to the last furrow is made about half depth of the ordinary furrow, and not over a foot wide, or it will lay too fiat. Then the last furrow takes all the sod and about half of the bottom of the shallow furrow; or it can take the sod only, and a final furrow plowed the same’ way, in the bottom of the shallow furrow. This makes the nicest finish; you can scarcely notice the ridge, and the dead furrow is about the width of an ordinary one, and as straight as a line. The furrows do not lay asnat as pancakes, but are well laid up, with plenty of loose dirt to harrow down between them. Plowing matches are of far less frequent occurrence than they should be. I have come to the conclusion, from observation, that the average farmer would much rather attend a horse race than a plowing match. There is one thing of which I will speak before closing, and that is, nearly or quite all the first-class plowing in this locality is done with right-hand plows, and yet there is not one right-hand plow used to ten lefthand plows. Why this is so I cannot tell, unless it is because most farmers are too careless to use the right-hand plow. In conclusion, I think there is reform needed in plowing as much as in many other things to which more attention is given.— Cor. Practical Farmer.