Vol. XVIII. No. 445. 



THE AQKICtJLTUKAL NEWS. 



15V 



A NOTE ON IMPLEMENTAL TILLAGE 

 AND MOTOR PLOUGHING. 



One of the matteis engaging widespread attention in 

 the West Indies at the present time is the question of the 

 increased use of implements in the tilling and weeding of 

 the soil. It is felt that the successful development of several 

 of the industries dependent on arable, as distinguished from 

 orchard work, is largely concerned with the solution of the 

 problems which these questions present. 



The greatest difficulty appears to arise from the presence 

 of the large open drains, or trenches, which are essential 

 for the carrying ofi" of storm water. It has been 

 customary to plough and cultivate at right angles to these 

 trenches, any banks or ridges being run in this direction so 

 as to facilitate the escape of the .storm water into the main 

 drains. For these reasons weeding machines and light 

 cultivators have also to traverse the land at right angles 

 to the main drains, and so to cross them continually. 



Where the land is moderately light, and the rainfall 

 not very heavy, these main drains can be made so shallow as 

 to interpose but moderate obstacles to the passage of 

 implements; but where the land is heavy, and the rainfall 

 great, these drains have to be both wide and deep, and are 

 in the nature of trenches, which implements cross with 

 difficulty. In the case of mechanical tractors intended for 

 the hauling of ploughs, these trenches often present 

 difficulties which are insuperable by the types of motor now 

 available. 



To meet these difficulties it has often been suggested 

 that the direction of cultivation should be changed so as to 

 run parallel with the drains. In some cases this may be 

 possible, particularly where the soil is moderately light, and 

 the drainage fairly free, When the sil is heavy this method 

 of tilling presents marked difficulties, and those concerned 

 with the carrying nut of the work often find their ideas in 

 conflict with those of others who advise this method of 

 cultivating parallel with the trenches. 



It is recognized by all who have work to do on the land in 

 the tropics tharprovision must be made for dealing with storm 

 water, in addition to the provision made for draining the 

 land 1:0 fit it forbearing crops. Even if it were possible to 

 develop satisfactory systems of sub.soil draining, as may be 

 the case, the question of dealing with the storm water will 

 still have to be faced. This storm water is bound to pass over 

 the surface, and in this manner find its way to the drains. 

 It is essential that this passage over the surface .shall be 

 as short as possible ; if any long path is traversed, either 

 the flow will be sluggi-sh and the land will be water-logged, 

 or the flow will be rapid, in which case the land is sure to 

 be cut up, and the cultivation damaged. 



In many cases connected with tropical crops it is the 

 custom to throw the soil into ridges and furrows ; this is 

 often the case with such crops as sugar-cane, cotton, corn, 

 and others. When these banks or ridges run parallel with 

 the main drains they present great obstacles to the flow of 

 water across them into the drains, so the water must run down 

 the furrows until it finds the outlet; in this way considerable 

 distances have to be traversed, and the land is liable either to 

 be water logged or cut up. 



In a lesser degree the operations of tilling and weeding by 

 implements running parallel to the main drains give rise to 

 minor ridges also parallel to the main drains, and conduce, 

 in a minor degree, to the troubles referred "to. 



It is often argued that {with good tilth the whole of 

 the water should find its way through the soil, beneath the 



surface, across the banks, and into the drains. Where the 

 rainfall is moderate this may be the case, but in the tropics 

 there is always the liability to heavy downpours of rain, when 

 the storm water must flow over the surface. It may be 

 possible to attain a considerable degree of success in this 

 method of parallel cultivation for some time, perhaps for a 

 season or two, if no heavy rainstorms are encountered ; but 

 once a heavy storm comes there is grave danger of injury. The 

 planter who experiments under the former condition may 

 feel that the method is successful; the one who meets with 

 the latter knows that it is disastrous. 



It is thought that the diflferences of opinion on the 

 subject may largely arise from considerations such as those 

 noticed above. 



It is admittedly desirable to introduce and encourage 

 the use of motor tractors for ploughing, and of implements 

 for cultivating and weeding, and to find means of negotiat- 

 ing the necessary storm water drains. Some attempt ia 

 being made to do this by endeavouring to construct motors 

 and implements which will cross the drains. 



In the meantime it will doubtless be necessary to 

 endeavour to develop the practice of ploughing and cultivating 

 parallel to the main drains. In this case it seems essential 

 to recognize the fact that storm water must be reckoned with, 

 and that it must flow over the surface by reasonably 

 short routes. This means that, on heavy land par- 

 ticularly, ridges and banks parallel to the main drains 

 must be avoided. This can be achieved by throwing the 

 land into broad, .sweeping ridges between the main drains 

 and parallel with them, so that any storm water falling on 

 these broad ridges can flow directly into the main drains 

 without having to run for any distance paralled to them. 

 This practice of broadly ridging the land is well seen in 

 English agriculture, and is practised in a modified form in 

 most of the West Indian colonies, being intended to tiirow 

 the water into the drains. It would appear well worth 

 while to experiment in this direction in connexion with cane 

 cultivation on some of the heavy West Indian soils. By 

 suitable methods of ploughing, the land should be thrown 

 into broad smooth ridges between the main drains, and it 

 should be seen that the curve of the surface is regular. The 

 canes should then be planted in rows, parallel with the 

 drains, care being taken in planting to preserve a reasonably 

 smooth surface, that is to say, the forraatioa of a series of 

 small ridges is to be avoided as far as possible. Under such 

 an arrangement the cultivating and weeding may be readily 

 accomplished by animal-drawn implements. 



In this connexion it would seem that only one of two 

 methods of putting in the plants is likely to be successful if 

 the formation of a number of small ridges is to be avoided. 

 Either the plants must be put in on the flat, and the surface 

 of the bed preserved in as smooth a condition as possible, or 

 perhaps a modified system of planting in separate 'cane holes' 

 might be found practicable, thereby avoiding the surface 

 washing to be feared as a result of a heavy downpour of 

 rain. 



The main drains must be spaced at such distances as 

 will provide adequate drainage, according to the nature of the 

 soil. In very heavy soils they will have to be somewhat close 

 together, or drainage will be imperfect. 



In view of the interest that is being taken in this subject 

 at the present time, it would serve a very useful purpose if 

 trial along the lines suggested were made extensively in several 

 of the colonies, 



F. W. 



