VOL. LXIX
INDIANAPOLIS, APRIL 4, 1914
NO. 14
The Spring Plowing and the Preparation
Farmers generally consider that the
right time to commence plowing for
spring      crops is      as soon       as
the frost is out of       the
ground, ami it is dry enough to turn
up and roll over fine and mellow. It
is safer to plow sod ground when too
wet than to plow stubble, 'and, of
course, sandy and gravelly soils can be
plowed sooner than clay. N< only is
time saved, but the chances for a good
crop in a dry year are Increased, when
sod ground is broken early in the
spring. When the farmer sees the grass,
clover or winter cover crop growing Tn
the early spring, he usually has a desire to get as much growth
as possible before turning it under, because he knows that such a growth
furnishes some plant food when it rots.
Hut it has been proved that early plowed land resists drought better than that
plowed later, hence it is safest to turn
the sod under just as early in the spring
as conditions will permit. Nothing can
be worse for land than plowing when
too wet; but when the soil is dry
enough to crumble freely, the plow
should start, and should be kept going.
If the spring continues dry, there is
time to get the soil settled so that
moisture will rise from the subsoil;
while if the weather turns wet, the
planting is not made so late as it would
be if the breaking was delayed until the
wet season was over. Where land
has good drainage, spring rains can
hardly pack sod land so mueh that a
modern harrow will not put it in good
condition very rapidly. It is also a
fact that land will usually produce better crops if it can be plowed and lie a
short time before it is planted, in order
tbat it may have the benefit of the air
and the sun, which in the opinion of
many farmers seem to enliven it, or
make the latent fertility more active
and available. In farmer's language,
land ought to be plowed long enough
before seeding for it "to get warm."
Why Plowing is Necessary.
of
we
Before considering the subject
what constitutes good plowing,
should understand why it is necessary
to plow at all. One of the £bief objects of plowing is to pulverize the soil.
Not only to invert it In the best possible manner, but to bury surface vegetation as well. Especially is this true
of land that has grown weeds or grass.
No plowing is deserving of the appela-
tlon good that does not completely
cover weeds and stubble. The plow
should leave the soil in such a condition that the cultivator and harrow can
complete the work in the cheapest and
the best possible manner. Other reasons why we plow are: To create the
soil deeper than if not plowed; to prevent water from escaping and to cause
the soil to entrap soil moisture. If
the soil i.s compact and the spaces between the soil particles filled with free
water or silt, under these conditions
the soil will not contain enough air for
the best growth of plants. For the
rootlets of plants require air for their
growth.
Plowing is therefore necessary to allow the air to enter the ground.    Soil
of the Seed Bed
always contains some air, but it may
happen that there is too much near the
surface and too little below. Should
there be a sufficient supply of air in the
surface soil, but an insufficient supply
in the soil below, then the seed will
germinate  well   but  subsequent  growth
lion. These include the nature of the
soil, its mechanical condition, the humus supply and the crop that is to be
grown. All of these conditions must
be considered in connection with each
ither by the farmer when determining
what manner of plowing he shall do for
A Thoroughly Pulverized Seed Bed is Essential   in   Giving  Oats  a   Good   Start.
of the plantlet will be hindered. By
plowing we aerate the soil to the depth
plowed, thereby giving the rootlets of
plants a chance to penetrate and feed
deeper and get down nearer to the supply of water in the soil. Loosely plowed land allows the water to penetrate
it easily and to pass out readily. This
is because of the greater corrugated
surface area exposed to evaporation,
than when plowed.
What  Constitutes  Good Mowing?
The answer to this question necessarily must be modified by conditions that
are more or less local in their applica-
tbe best results in any given case. No
definition of good plowing can ever apply generally. The plowing should always be suitable to the kind of crop
grown. Some crops call for deep plowing, as eorn and root crops, and some
for plowing that is shallow. No plowing can be called good that is not adopted to the needs of the crop in regard
to depth, whatsoever its other characteristics may be. The humus or vegetable matter in the soil affects the character of the plowing to be done. Especially is this true of land that has
produced a rank growth of weeds or
grass,  which  must  be  completely  cov-
• -red when turned under. Humus soils
with good, natural drainage will grow
crops if turned over to a sufficient
depth to cover all the stubbles and
weeds that may be growing in them, •
regardless of the width of the furrow
slice. In general, however, no principle in agriculture has been more
thoroughly demonstrated than the
value of the deeply-plowed, thoroughly-
pulverized seed-bed. Nothing less
than eight inches is considered deep
plowing. Plowing four, five or six inches deep is only common plowing.
It has been proved without question
that the roots of plants penetrate the
soil deeper and feed deeper in deeply-
plowed land. Thus, in general, it may
be stated that when the soil is plowed
three inches deep the plants have three
inches of food, when plowed six inches
deep they have six inches of food, etc.
Another thing, deeply plowed and well
pulverized soils retain moisture very
much better than shallow plowed soils.
One of the most important problems
connected with crop growing is a properly distributed supply of moisture at
all times. Deeply-plowed ground holds
more moisture to begin with and it is
much more slowly evaporated. It is
seldom possible to have a properly distributed supply of moisture on shallow
plowed soils. The shallow soil is soon
tilled with water during a rainfall. If
the rain continues several days, the
soil stays saturated with water. This
keeps out the air and the crop fails
during wet spells of weather. Then
when the rain ceases the small amount
of water held in a shallow soil is soon
exhausted by evaporation and by being
used by the crop so that the crop soon
.suffers for lack of moisture. With a
deep soil these conditions do not exist.
When rain comes it sinks into the lower parts of the soil, letting the air into
the upper portions so that the plants
continue their growth. When dry
weather prevails the deep soil, by having caught previous rains, is able to
supply moisture enough to keep the
crop green and growing. When the
shallow soil is wet it is usually too wet,
and when dry, too dry. Drainage and
deep plowing should go hand in hand,
however. There is not much use of
doing either unless the other ls done as
well. Water-logged soils are rarely
benefited by deep plowing except in extremely dry seasons. But if such soils
are underdrained they will usually respond well to deep plowing.
Why It Is not Always Advisable to Plow
Deep.
An eight, ten or twelve-inch breaking is not lo be advocated at once in
all cases. These are the depths thut
must be reached finally to secure the
best crop results. The farmer must
determine how soon he can secure
these depths under his conditions. Scientifically, as well as practically, the
bringing up of a large amount of subsoil at one plowing to the surface is
disadvantageous. As is now generally
known, the fertility and yi-elding properties of all soils are largely regulated
by the action of useful bacteria therein.
Continued on page  4.