The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., July 27, 1912, Image 1

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
IRISH CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT SOCIETIES—PAGE 11.
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A Farm and Home Weekly for
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee.
BIRMINGHAM, ALA.,—MEMPHIS, 1ENN.
Vol. XXVII. No. 30. SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1912. Weekly: $1 a Year.
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i——— i—— N. i ■ L .
THIS IS THE SEASON F<% DEEP PLOWING.
NOT as much land will be broken
up in our territory in the next
two or three months, we feel
safe in saying, as should be. Many
farmers think that spring is the
plowing season, and that only in ex
ceptional cases should the farmer be
expected to break his land in the
late summer or early fall, but we |
feel sure that this is a mistaken idea.
In any wheat-growing section the far
f mers know that it does not pay, as a
rule, to break the land just before
i seeding time. Of course, it is best
| when a crop of wheat or oats comes
off to plow the land at once and
| plant in cowpeas or soy beans. Then
if another winter-growing crop is to
be planted, re-breaking will not be
necessary. The disk harrow will put
the land in fine condition. Where
land is yet to be broken for the fall
crops, however, it should be done as
soon as possible.
There may not be a great deal
of plowing to be done for this pur
pose in our territory : but this does
not mean that summer and early fall
plowing is not needed. The next
two or three months are a splendid
time for the reclamation of waste
lands, and for plowing for the
land’s sake.
FORTY-FIVE HORSEPOWER TRACTOR AND GANG PLOW AT WORK.
This picture, reproduced by courtesy of the Sanford (N. C.) Express, shows a traction plow at work on the Cumnock farm in
Lee County N C.' This plow has eight 28-inch disks and will break 15 to 20 acres a day, to a depth of ten inches, at a cost for opera
tion of $10 to $15 More work is done by it than would be done by 20 one-horse plows, and it is done much better and at less cost.
The Cumnock farm adjoins the old Poe homestead on which Editor Poe grew up, and which is now owned by himself and sister.
There are about 3 000 acres in this Cumnock estate, and the owners plan to throw all the cultivated land into one big body. They are
tile draining cleaning up planting pecans, raising sheep and, in short, making the farm an object lesson to the surrounding country.
There are, of course, numerous
exceptions, but as a general rule, the spring is the season for shallow
and the fall the season for deep plowing. The breaking up of the
subsoil, where this is needed, should be done only when the subsoil is
dry, and this is much more likely to be the case from August to De
cember than at any other season. In preparing land for winter cover
crops, or in breaking up the land for winter weathering a permis
sible practice on a few Southern soils—the plowing should be deep.
This is not the season for scratch plowing. Indeed, there is nothing
more needed by a great part of our lands than some sure-enough
plowing. We know that here and there will be found men who
decry deep breaking as a waste of time and labor, and we know max
on light and sandy soils the depth of breaking is of less importance
than on those of a clayey nature ; but neither of these facts alters the
general rule that deep, thorough plowing goes with profitable farm
ing, and shallow, careless turning of the land with poor farming and
depleted soils.
Break as much as possible of the land you expect to cultivate next
i year between now and Christmas, and break it as deeply as possible.
Then put a cover crop on it and prepare to add to the soil s supply o!
humus. Deep plowing makes a deep soil only when the deep plowing
means also the mixing of some vegetable matter with the earth broken
up and turned over. In many cases, extra deep turning, subsoiling,
dynamiting even, would pay even if nothing were accomplished ex
cept the breaking up of the underlying hard-pan; but the plowing
Southern lands need is that which year by year turns up a new layer
of fresh earth and turns down a new supply of vegetable matter,
mixing them together and thus making a real soil—friable, moisture
retaining and of steadily increasing depth and productive capacity.
FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE.
A CALL TO WEST TENNESSEE FARMERS—Why Not a Fann
ers’ Auditorium at, Jackson?. 5
GET THE COVER CROP HABIT—It’s a Good Habit . <J
HOW TO GROW ONIONS—Directions for Handling Both Fall
anti Spring Crops. . I
HOW TO RECOGNIZE HOG CHOLERA—Symptoms of the Disease 12
IRISH CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT SYSTEMS — A Lesson for the
South . 11
MORE ABOUT THE ARMY WORM—Dr. W. E. Hinds Tells How
to Fight Him. 5
PIG FEEDING PROBLEMS—How to Make Cheap Pork.8-18
SHOULD GIRLS WORK IN THE FIELD—A Girl's Opinion. 1)
WHAT INTERESTS THE FARMER—Some Things He Must Learn It)
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLUB HAS DONE—A Symposium S
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT PULL FODDER — Simply Because If
Do«*s Not Pay.•. 10