An agricultural traveller, who has recently passed through parts of
Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton and Philadelphia counties,
by the great roads leading through them, wishes, most cordially and
earnestly to call the attention of the farmers to their unfortunate
style of agriculture in some important particulars.
After leaving the neighbourhood of Norristown, with a few
exceptions, a barely tolerable field of Indian corn was rarely to be
seen, until he arrived, on his return from Easton, into the southern
parts of Bucks county. The foes to all good husbandry, weeds, were
predominant in almost every cornfield. If, perchance, the interior
was tolerably clear, a circumstance which rarely, occurred, the
weeds around the enclosures were so lamentably abundant, that the
corn was, in a great degree, obscured. Good and bad land exhibited
the like ruinous and disgusting appearance and miserable promise;
and the same bad system of culture prevailed. The ploughing was
generally shallow, whatever might be the texture of the soil.--Every
field was ridged; many had been broken up in bulks, and furrows
were always thrown up to the plants, for the drought to turn into
dust, or indurate into impenetrable clods.--The middle spaces
between the rows were untouched, either by the plough or the harrow
in very numerous instances. Countless varieties of pestiferous
coarse grasses and weeds took possession of these neglected spots,
furnishing a counterbalance to any supplies from the earth or the
air, which the corn plants, in the absence of these pests, might
have drawn, and effectually preventing the extension of their roots
beyond the bounds of the elevated furrows, or narrow ridges, in
which they were imprisoned. Can it then be wondered at, that the
crops evidenced a sickly, stunted & wretched appearance, both in
colour and size? In some fields, where limestone prevailed, and,
perhaps, lime had been applied, the colour was better, but the
weeds and grasses abundant; on the head lands particularly, which
are seldom sufficiently, if at all, stirred and cleaned: thus
establishing a mischievous nursery of poisonous pests to perpetuate
their scourges on future crops. Fall ploughing was rarely, if
at all, practised; and lime little used, even in many limestone
districts. One farmer said, "their land was hot enough without
lime." It is hoped, that this superlative ignorance of the qualities
of lime, which, when slacked, is the coldest of all substances
applied to land, is confined to the individual sporting the opinion.
One of the uses of lime is to supply the soil, and that not too
lavishly, with calcareous matter, when its caustic qualities are
subdued.
This is not exaggerated, but is a regretful picture. It is held
up to intelligent and well-disposed farmers, who, by viewing its
deformities, may banish entirely their present mode of culture,
which, by its own showing, is proved to be radically wrong. A
corn crop is not only in itself, but, when well cultivated, is in
its consequences the most valuable of all our products. With an
abhorrence of weeds, the test of intelligence in a farmer, he can,
with a corn crop, more effectually clean and prepare his fields for
succeeding crops, than can be done by any other culture. Whilst
he is attending his corn, which will not, with impunity, suffer
neglect, he is not only invigorating and increasing his crop, but
he is subduing his worst enemies--weeds of all kinds. This makes
ample amends for the exhaustion of the soil by this gigantic plant.
The change recommended, is dictated not only by reasonable theory,
but is founded on long experience and multitudinous practical proofs.
_Deep and Flat Culture._
Plough your fields throughout _deeply_; and _that_ in the fall, to
expose and destroy the eggs of the grub moth; and roll, to pulverize
the clods. Harrow in lime at this season, or on spring ploughed
ground, for corn; and do not spread it on your fallows for wheat;
because it is then injurious to your winter grain crop; as frequent
experience has shown. Mark out your squares or drills, lightly, with
the plough; and thereafter never suffer the plough to enter your
fields. Work entirely with _harrows_; whereof procure the necessary
variety; some with large, and others with smaller _hoes_. These
cut up weeds, and sufficiently stir your intervals to any depth
you choose. If the hand hoes be found indispensable, use them near
your plants; but never hill or plough up furrows. The common harrow
will have its share of usefulness; and spare it not. As often as
young weeds appear, or your surface becomes crusty, often occasioned
by drought after rains, ply the harrows. You will then have a
deep, loose and light body of pulverized soil, for your roots to
penetrate. It will imbibe the dews and gases from the atmosphere;
and afford, in the severest droughts, perpetual moisture and
nourishment; which will be exclusively applied to your corn plant;
having no robbers to contend with. In droughts, deeply stirred
soil inhales and _retains_ moisture. In wet seasons it is the
least injured; because it affords room for superabundant wetness.
Being elastic and buoyant, it does not consolidate or settle into
concrete bodies, like shallow ploughed, cloddy, and unstirred
ground. The corn roots (which have, in such ground, been measured
ten feet long,) will have a continuous and not a divided soil,
wherein to expand and extend themselves; in which, it being loose,
deep, and constantly moist, the roots will far exceed those confined
to narrow detached ridges, wherein they are short and starved. It is
an idle opinion, to suppose that plants spend themselves in roots.
The stronger, the root, the more vigorous is the plant.
If you _will_ introduce the plough after the first breaking up,
either before or after planting; and squares are the most commodious
for thorough stirring and cleaning; plough shallow; so as not to
disturb the deeply buried sod. Let the harrows level and flatten
your surface at the next operation; and continue them exclusively
in all future stirrings. Your culture will be easier, cheaper, and
more abundantly profitable, than those who are accustomed to the old
modes will _believe_, until they _see_.
If your field requires drains, draw furrows in proper places. If it
be naturally wet, break up deeply in very broad lands, on which the
harrows may still be used, and drains sufficiently multiplied. If it
be stony, rugged, or harsh, either plant other crops; or strengthen
your harrows; ridged ground dries the soonest, and burns through; so
does all shallow ploughed soil, whether ridged or flat. Attraction
of moisture is trifling, and evaporation rapid.
Be not afraid of cutting corn roots, which benefit by excision;
throwing out, on the parts attached to the plants, numerous fibres,
to draw in and communicate their food.
Your corn, in deeply ploughed and frequently stirred ground, will
resist storms and heavy rains, owing to the strength and numbers of
its roots, far beyond hilled or ridged plants. If it yields to the
storm, and leans, the extent, tenacity, and re-acting contraction
of the roots, will generally restore the erect position of the
stalks: whereas, in the ridged or hill culture, the roots are short,
brittle, and incapable of recovery. It is not uncommon in the deep
and flat culture, for those called finger roots, to grow entirely or
greatly extended _under_ instead of _above_ the surface; and throw
out innumerable fibres, to support the stalk.
Detach all suckers, which are robbers; and top, in due season, to
shorten the lever, insure the standing of the stalks, and facilitate
the ripening of the grains.
Banish all apprehensions, that working among corn in dry weather, is
injurious. The contrary is the truth; for your harrows will, in such
weather, have the double effect of more certainly destroying weeds,
and pulverizing, to open mouths to take in moisture and gases, from
the dews and the air.
It being seldom practised in Pennsylvania, I need not warn you
against sowing winter grain in the same year with corn. This not
only scourges your land, but interferes with the great use of the
cleaning culture, affording the time and opportunity for weeds to
recover their pestiferous reign, and is a sure test of slovenly and
covetous farming.
If you will not at once believe in this system of corn husbandry,
now frequently and ever successfully practised, where the best
crops are to be seen, try a small portion of your field--do it
justice--and compare it with the old mode, for your own and your
neighbour's conviction. Whatever may be hastily thought of these
observations, they are, with the most friendly wishes for their
prosperity, offered for the serious consideration of liberal minded
and unprejudiced farmers; among whom numberless instances of good
farming, in other respects, are to be found, and to which the
greatest proportion of the corn culture is a mortifying contrast.
_September 10, 1820._ MENTOR.