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PRINCIPLES OF FARMING.
FALL-BREAKING AND PREPARA?
TION OF THE SEED BED.
Deep Ploughing. Not Leun Than Eight
Im-he*. la Nee emery In Order to
Obtain the ti?et Results From the
gotl?Deep Full Ploughing inad?
visable on Sandy or Semi-Arid
Lande.
Upon the Inauguration of the Far
mere' Co-operative Demonstration
Work In the Southern States, it was
found necessary to outline some of
the fundamental principles of good
farming and to Insist that the tillers
of the soil become familiar with them
and practice them as a first step in
the betterment of farm life. These
principles are as follows:
(1) Prepare a deep and thor?
oughly pulverised seed bed. well
drained; break in the fall to a depth
of I, 10 or It Inches, according to
the soil, with implements that will
not bring too much of the subsoil to
the surface. (The foregoing depths
should be reached gradually If the
Held la broken with an ordinary turn?
ing plough. If a disk plough is used,
it Is safe to break to the above depths
at once.)
(S) Use eeed of the best variety,
Intelligently selected and carefully
atored.
(t) In cultivated crops give the
rows and the plants In the rows a
apace suited to the plant, the soli and
the climate.
(4) Uae Intensive tillage during
the growing period of the crops.
(5) Secure a high content of hu?
mus In the soil by the use of legumes,
barn yard manure, farm refuse and
commercial fertilisers.
(I) Carry out a systematic crop
rotation with a winter cover crop on
Mouther n far ma
(7) Accomplish more work In a
day by using more horse power and
better Implements.
(S) Increase the farm stock to the
extent of utilising all the waste pro?
ducts and Idle landa of the farm.
(I) Produce ail the food requir?
ed for the men and animals on the
farm.
(10) Keep an account of each
farm product. In order to know from
which the gain or loss arises.
M is the purpose of the Farmers'
Co-optratlve Demonstration Werk to
tna.nt upon suoh preparj" n e?f the
soil as will furnish the be**, feeding
t : ids for the roots and such as
will provide at all times plenty of
moisture and food for the growing
plant*. It is better to secure 10 or IS
Inches of well-drained, thoroughly
pulverised soli filled with humua than
to go deeper at the expense of lea*
thorough preparation.
The presence of heat. air. and
moisture la eeeentlal to chemical and
germ action in the preparation of
plant food In the ?oll. The depths to
which these penetrate the soil In the
South depend upon the depth of the
ploughing, provided the soil Is well
drained. There Is no use in plough?
ing down into a subsoil full of
water. v
It haa been proved without ques?
tion that the roots of plants pene
tru the soil deeper and feed deeper
la deeply ploughed land. Thus, In
general. It may be stated that when
the eoll Is ploughed 3 Inches deep
the plants have 3 Inches of food,
when ploughed ? Inch** deep they
have 0 Inches of food, and when
ploughed 10 Inches deep they have
10 Inches of food. The fact that the
bottom portions of the ploughed land
are as rich In available plant food as
the top portions shows the necessity
of getting more air and heat 1 >wn to
them by deeped tillage.
The soil requirements most essen?
tial to the growth of plants are heat
and moisture. Deep breaking Insures
air and heat at a greater depth.
For plants to do their best there
must be In the soil a constant supply
of moisture, so that a film of water
can envelope the soli particles and
absorb nutritive elements. The hair
roots of plant* drink this nourish?
ment. If there Is any morj than
enough to serve a* films for the soil
particles and capillary water, there
It too much, and It should be drained
off. This can be determined by dig?
ging a hole 20 Inches deep. If there
in standing water in the bottom of
the hole. It Indicates that there is too
much water In the soli or subsoil.
The capacity of a given soil to hold
film and capillary moisture depends
upon how finely It Is pulverised and
upon the amount of humus in it.
Unploughed landa retain but little
water. Thoroughly pulverised soil 3
Inchee deep cannot store enough to
make a good crop.
In all Southern States there are
every year periods of drought, some?
times not serious, but generally suf?
ficiently protracted to reduce the
crop. The remedy for thla la increas?
ed storage capacity for moisture.
This can be accomplished by deep
and thorough tillage and by filling
the eoll with humua (partly decayed
vegetation.) The effect of deep til?
lage hae been explained. The effect
of humus la to Increase greatly the
storage capacity of soil* for water
and to reduce evaporation. A pound
of humus will store seven and one
half clraes as much moisture as a
pound of sand, and the sand will
lose Its water by evaporation three
and one-half times more rapidly
than the humus. A clay soil will
store only about one-fourth as much
moisture as humus, and will lose It
by evaporation twice as rapidly.
Plants use an enormous quantity of
water. An acre of good corn will
absorb and evaporate during its
grrowth nearly 10 inches of water.
About three-fourths of this amount
will be required during the last
seventy-five days of its growth, or
at the rate of 3 inches of water a
month. This Is in addition to evap?
oration from the soil, which, even
with the retarding influence of the
dust mulch, will amount to several
inches each month in midsummer.
In case the land is ploughed only 3
or 4 Inches deep, though thoroughly
pulverized, it will store an amount of
moisture entirely Insufficient to supply
crop requirements in any protracted
drought. These shallow and general?
ly poorly prepared seed beds are the
principal cause of the low corn
yields In the South, and they affect
the cotton yields similarly, but not so
much, because cotton Is a more
drough-resistant plant than corn. If
planting la done at all, It Is folly to
prepare a seed bed so shallow as to
bring about the almost total loss of
the crop some years and a reduced
crop every year.
Many farmers plough or cultivate
their corn nearly as deeply as they
break their land In preparing a seed
bed. this leaves no space for roots in
the pulverised and aired soil. Roots
occupy a large space. If all the roots
of a single vigorous corn stalk were
placed end to end they would reach
more than a mile, and if allowed by
the ploughing they will ml the soil to
a considerable depth and feed In all
portions of It In the principal corn
producing areas of the South the an?
nual rainfall Is 85 inches or more,
and here in a soil properly ^prepared
for corn the great body at the roots
will He from 3 to 12 Inches from the
Burface and will feed within 2 inches
of the surface if allowed by shallow
cultivation.
Ploughing 3, 4, 5 or 6 inches deep
la only common ploughing. In our
Instructions nothing leas than 8 inchea
la ooaldered Jfdeep ' ploughing. w?
are got advocating a sin^ie. i.-v.-k
of g inches hi depth on00 in two ??r
three year*, but the preparation of j
an 8 to 12 inch seed bed thorough*
ly pulverised and filled with humus.
It la not Intended here to Insist that
thla should be done at once In all
cases. These are the depths that must
be reached finally to secure the best
crop results. The farmer must de?
termine how soon he can secure theae
deptha under hla conditions.
Always plough in the fall before
the winter rains aet in?the earlier
after the let of October the better.
Alwaya uae a cover crop of oats,
barley, wheat, rye, vetch, or crimson
clover, If possible. Every observant
farmer haa noted that aeeda germi?
nate more quickly and that plants
grow more rapidly on fall-breaking
than on spring-breaking. Fall
ploughing renders more plant food
ready for use, while the preparation
of the land in the fall oaves work in
the aprlng, when everything on the
farm la crowding. A cover crop is a
net gain. It keeps the soil from
waahlng. if utilizes the plant food
that otherwlae might escape into the
air, and it adda humus. The soil is
improved by the crop, and winter
grazing is provided. In ploughed
land properly handled, the loss of
plant food is less than in unplough
ed land; more plant food may be
produced 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-ploughed soil becomes sat?
urated with water during the winter
and remains wetter and colder later
In the spring than land left ubroken
in the fall. This Is true only upon
land not sufficiently drained and
where the breaking is shallow. Wat?
er passes through deep breaking
readily, and with reasonable drain?
age It Is ready for planting earlier
than lands broken In the spring.
With deep breaking and an abun?
dance of humus it will be possible to
dispense with many terraces and yet
have no washing of the soli. Ter?
races are seldom required on the
steepest hillsides of the North. Deej
freezing opens the soil for the ab?
sorption of the rain.
When land is nearly level, with a
stiff subsoil, it should be flat-broken,
but left In ridges or narrow lands
about 5 or 6 feet wide, suitable for
planting, with a dead furrow be?
tween. This provides winter drain?
age and keeps the pulverized soil
out of the water, which is import?
ant even If unbroken,
la It Advisable to Plough Deeper
than 8, 10 or 12 Inches?
The depth of ploughing muat be
determined by the farmer himaelf.
He knowa the conditions and Is the
best Judge of the cost In many sec?
tions If done In the fall It undoubt?
edly pays to aubaoll 15 or 20 inches.
Thlg haa been proved by some of the
I A
best farmers and experimenters in
the world. Some subsoils in humid
climates have been made so close and
compact by the abundant rainfall
that air does not penetrate them to
aid in preparing plant food. Such
fields, therefore, may not show any
benefits of subsoiling until after two
or more years.
It rarely pays to subsoil land In
the cpring, and it Is never advisable
to uso the subsoil plough when the
subsoil is fully saturated with water,
even though the surface be fairly
dry. Under such conditions of plough?
ing the clay subsoil is pressed and
packed, when the object Is to pul?
verize It and allow the air to act
upon It.
Exceptions to General Rules For Deep
Fail Ploughing.
(1) Never plough below the line
of standing water In the soil, because
the subsoil cannot be pulverized in
water. The water level must first
be lowered by drainage.
(2) Do no deep fall-ploughing on
light sandy land or dry, seml-arld
plains, and this especially applies to
elevated sandy lands of the South.
Such lands can be helped by adding
humuti and using a winter cover crop.
(3) The object of deep fall
ploughing is mainly to increase the
supply of plant food and the storage
of moisture In the soil. While this
preparation is of great value on roll?
ing lands and nearly all fields so
long in cultivation that plant growth
is medium or less, there are some
soils that for the production of cotton
had better not be deep fall-broken,
such as very rich and moist river
bottoms and the virgin black-land
prairies of the Gulf States, for the
evident reason that there is too much
plant food for cotton already avail?
able In the soil, with abundant mois?
ture?conditions that make for an
excessive growth of the cotton stalks
and a consequent decrease in fruit?
age?even under ordinary conditions.
For the cotton crop upon such lands
It is better to plough very shallow in
the spring and bed upon the firm
soil.
(4) Do not plough deeply or sub?
soil in the spring. The subsoil is gen?
erally too full of water, and it is too
late for much effective action of the
air upon the soil for the winter rains
to firm the subsoil before planting
for cotton.
<k\ Tbin gray toils underlain
with yellow or stiff clay near thn sur
face, moMt of the po*^ oak flats, ?.id
the comparatively level coast lands
should )<? Vn'-.on in ;hjg< * (black
luiiuncu; <>, U, Of I 1CCI ftlUC, ttC"
cording to the crop to be planted.
Cotton and corn may be left thicker
in the row, to offset the wider space
between the rows. The dead furrow
between the rows should be double
ploughed and made as deep as prac?
ticable, with a good outlet 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 excellent
when surface drainage is ecessary.
Soil to be live and frlab.v must be
kept out of standing water winter
and summer.
The sugar planters of Louisiana all
use the ridge method (generally 7
feet wide) for both sugar cane and
corn. The dead furrow is as deep as
a plough drawn by four or six heavy
mules can penetrate at the last
breaking. This gives an average
depth of tillage of 12 to 15 inches.
The adoption of the ridge method
on demonstration fields In the Yazoo
Delta in 1906 increased the yield of
corn from 14 bushels per acre to 70
l wshois. No fertilizer was used.
In case no winter cover crop Is
used the soil should be disked or har?
rowed two or three times dur'ng the
Winter, provided it is dry enough.
Give good drainage to all parts of the
field.
Any cultivation done after the
deep fall-breaking should be shallow
?not more than 3 or 4 Inches deep.
S. A. Knapp.
Special Agent In Charge.
Farmers' Co-operative Demonstration
Work.
?The peculiar properties of Cham?
berlain's Cough Remedy have been
thoroughly tested during epidemics
of influenza, and when it was taken
in time we have not heard of a sin?
gle case of pneumonia. Sold by W. W.
Slbert.
A negro child, left alone In a
room at Clinton, was burned to death
?Many persons find themselves af?
fected with a persistent cough after
an attack of influenza. As this cough
can be promptly cured by the use of
Chamberlain's Cough Remedy, it
should not be allowed to run on until
it becomes troublesome. Sold by W.
W. Slbert.
The five-year-old daughter of Jesse
Cam was burned to death at Abbe?
ville Sunday.
?If you are suffering from bilious?
ness, constipation, Indigestion, chronic
headache, invest one cent in a postal
card, send to Chamberlain Medicine
Co., Des Molnee, Iowa, with your
namt and address plainly on the
back, and they will forward you a
free sample of Chamberlain's Stom?
ach and Liver Tablets. Sold by W. W.
Slbert
UNCLE SAM, THE MEDDLER.
Citizens of Central American Repub?
lics l?rotCHt Against America's
Course Toward Nicaragua.
Mexico City, Dec. 14.?Resolutions
ratified last night at a mass meeting
of tbe Central American people in
Mexico City, denouncing the action
of the United States in reference to
Nicaragua and Zelaya, were mailed
today to President Taft and Secre?
tary Knox. They are in part as fol?
lows:
"That the government of the Uni?
ted States has no right to interfere
in the internal affairs of Central
America, despite the reasons stated
by you, and we affirm that the pur?
pose of your government is to con?
summate an offense against Nicara?
gua, through the arousing of politi?
cal passions and taking advantage of
credulity or disloyalty of some Cen?
tral Americans;
"That Nicaragua has grounds to
consider that the political revolution
has been promoted by the govern?
ment of the United States and has
the perfect right to claim from that
government an indemnltizatlon suf?
ficient to pay for the loss of life and
interests which your government has
caused with Its Irregular proceed?
ings;
"That If the government of the
United States had sought in good
faith an equitable and Impartial so?
lution of the conflict, It would have
adopted at once the mediation offer
eded, according to the declaration of
the Mexican government to the
press.
"We declare that your note is op?
posed to the sovereignlty and dignity
of our common country, but princi?
pally to the republic of Nicaragua;
that we consider that the note is not
inspired by a government friendly to
our people, and in consequence we
protest against the aggression which
your government is practicing
against Nicaragua and we call upon
all of our countrymen in Central
America and abroad to be on the
alert with respect to the dominating
and absorbing tendencies of the
American government in order that
should the occasion present Itself,
they may act as the patriotism and
importance of our five republics re?
quire."
MCARAGl \\ I rAL TiFVOT.TB.
People Of Mnna^ui? openly De?
nounce ZeiHya.
Managua, Dec 14.?The people of
Managua are in open revolt against
Zelaya without check from the po?
lice. They are crowding the streets
and giving vent to unrestrained de?
nunciation of the administration.
Shouts of "long live liberty," "long
live the United States," "long ilve
Mexico," "long live Estrada" are
heard on every side.
The street demonstrations began
last night, following denunciatory
speeches in Congress and the temper
of the people was madly excited by
the report that a battle had been
fought and won by Vasquez, com?
mander of the Zelayan forces around
Rama and that Vasquez had mas?
sacred a large number of revolution
Ists. With this report came the ad?
ditional rumor that Vasquez had vio?
lated the armistice and it was not
considered likely that he would do
so unless by Instructions from Ze?
laya. These reports lost nothing in
passing from mouth to mouth. As
the Mexican minister was the guar?
antor of the armistice, it is stated
that that official will ask for his
passports unless satisfactory explan?
ations are made.
The whole country is In a ferment.
Zelaya Is denounced on every hand,
but he is master of the situation, and
the people fear a wholesale execu?
tion of political prisoners as a part?
ing shot. The prisons are full of
men, most of whom are in a half
starved condition and doubtless
would welcome death.
The people openly demand Amer?
ican Intervention and vigilantes have
been organized to prevent the escape
of the President.
A serious danger threatens, for
the American concessionaire of the
electric lighting declares that he will
nut the whole city in darkness if
money due to a large amount is not
paid before noon tomorrow. This
bill amounts to 109,000 pesos, and It
is hardly likely that the demand will
be met.
The American vice counsel, Henry
Caldera, has stuck to his post and
conducted the business of his office
under conditions of considerable
danger.
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an ideal remedy for Horses,
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Dip, guaranteed to destroy MITES4
LICKon chick ens. Sample on request.
Golden Chain Remedy Co., Ino.
EVANSVILLE. IND.
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CASTORS
VMS OBKTAUS SOfiSSNT. NEW VOM? OITT.
-
WANT A WINDOW?
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quickly and correctly. This is a de?
pot for such building materials. We
have a 'phone and we want your or?
ders.
The Surater Door, Sash & Blind Factor},
J. W. McKeiver,
Proprietor
Birnie's Drug Store,
5 W. Liberty St. Sumter, S. C.
Dealer In
Pure Drugs and Medicines,
CHOICE PERFUMES {AND FINE
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OUR MOTTO: PURE AND RELIABLE GOODS.
11
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To All Business Men
It you arc a Banker, Manufacturer or head
of some other large corporation or firm, and
wish the best and most up-to-date banking fa?
cilities,?if you wish to establish connections
that will give you credit and standing and a
rating such as the first business houses should
enjoy, then consult the officers of
= Bank of Sumter.
1
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The Farmers' Bank and Trust ?[Co.f
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