2-22 



Plou^hin^ sod for Corn. 



Vox 



II. 



F«r the Furmcru' Ciibiiiet- 



"WUcn Is tlic best time to plough sod for 



Corn* 



A diversity of opinion exists among practi- 

 cal farmers, as to the best time tu plougli sod 

 for corn. Some are in tavor of plougliing 

 it in antumn, some in tiie winter — some as 

 soon as possible in the spring, after the frosts 

 of winter have subsided, while others prefer 

 leaving it as late as possible, that they may 

 have It accomplished by the time they wish 

 to plant their corn. Ploughing at each of 

 these seasons has its advocates, from certain 

 peculiar advantages supposed to be derived 

 therefrom. Amongst tliese may be enumera- 

 ted, certainty for a medium crop, destruction 

 of depredators, and exemption from labor. 

 To answer the above question, to be of prac- 

 tical utility to the farmer, essential regard 

 must be had to economy, the philosopher's 

 stone ill the science of agriculture. That 

 in wliich the greatest certainty of a crop, 

 with the least amount of labor is connected, 

 is certamly the preferable ; and, however 

 plausible theory may be, the only data suffi- 

 cient to furnish the solution is, e.xpenence. 



The principal argument oifered in favor 

 of autumn ploughing, is the destruction of the 

 cut-worm, which, in some seasons, commits 

 such destructive ravages in the corn crops. 

 Sufficient of this was to be observed in the 

 season of l-^^ij. No person who has the least 

 experience in the matter, I presume, will 

 doubt, but that autumn, or winter ploughing, 

 will obviate the loss to be apprehended from 

 this source. 



The best scientific description of the cut- 

 worm, wliich has yet come under my notice, 

 is by " Observer," in Vol. 2, No. 2, of the 

 Cabinet His ideas on the subject and mine 

 coinciding, I give them verbatim: 



" Habits. — I am not aware that the man- 

 ner in vvliica the cut-worm, phahena, deposits 

 its eggs, has ever been observed. I can, 

 therefore, only arrive at probable conclusions. 

 As very few phala^na survive the winter sea- 

 son, it is probable that the eggs are deposited 

 in autumn, among the grass, at or near to the 

 surface of the ground. The eggs appear not 

 to hatch until spring." 



The correctness of this view is inferred 

 from the success of fall, or very early spring 

 ploughing, in preventing the ravages of the 

 cut-worm. It may be proper to inquire a 

 little, how winter ploughing produces this 

 result. I apprehend that the eggs become 

 buried so deep in the earth, that the vivifing 

 influence of tlie sun and air, does not reach 

 them, or if they do hatch at such a depth, 

 they must perish before reaching the surface, 

 where, alone, food is to be found to nourish 

 them. In late sprmg ploughing, the same 



thing would not so certainly happen; vege- 

 tation having started, the proper food for the 

 worms would be buried along with tliein, and 

 tlie loose state of the fresh ploughed land not 

 only admits the passage of warmth and air, 

 but would greatly facilitate the egress of the 

 worm to the surface. Even should the moth 

 survive the winter, and not deposit its eggs 

 till spring, the foregoing explanation will ap- 

 ply equally well; or if the moths should hnd 

 the ground already ploughed, they would pro- 

 bably seek some other field in which to de^x)- 

 sit their eggs. It is generally admitted, that 

 foil, or very early spring ploughing does, 

 in some way, prevent the cut-worm from in- 

 juring our corn crops." 



Now, to obtain a correct solution of the 

 question under consideration, after having 

 weighed all the advantages arising from fall 

 ploughing, it will be equally necessary to 

 taiie into consideration, also, all the disadvan- 

 tages it presents. The great disadvantage 

 attending fall ploughing, for corn, particular- 

 ly if the winter and sprmg be open and mild, 

 is this — the sod, instead of undergoing de- 

 composition, by having the roots of the grass 

 kdled, with the timely use of the harrow, will 

 carry on such a process of vegetation as to 

 increase the labor of cultivating it at least 

 two-told. I remember to have seen this par- 

 ticularly illustrated in the year 1828. The 

 winter and spring having been remarkably 

 mild, in a field that was ploughed the fiill 

 previous, the grass had become so strong, 

 that I feel myself safe in saying, that it re- 

 quired three times as much labor as ordinary 

 to conquer the grass, not to be an injury to 

 tlie crop of corn. 



To the correctness of the foregoing state- 

 ment by " Observer," of the efficacy of early 

 spring ploughing, in preventing the ravages 

 of the cut-worm, I need but add, that so far 

 as my experience is concerned, it is equally as 

 efficacious as fall ploughing: and ground 

 ploughed in the spring, will scarcely need 

 iialf the tillage to destroy the grass, as that 

 ploughed in the fall. 



The chances of winter ploughing being, at 

 best, but precarious, and the object to be ob- 

 tained being similar to that of fall ploughing, 

 it deserves no particular notice in these re- 

 marks. 



Fanners sometimes think it an object of 

 some importance, to leave their plougliing as 

 late as possible in the spring, that their stock 

 may derive some benefit, from the pasture 

 afforded by the sod. This may answer e.v- 

 tremely well, in those seasons afTording a 

 paucity of worms, particularly if tlie sod be 

 not too tough. The ground, in this case, will 

 be in finer tilth, than in either of the pre- 

 ceding. Some intelligent farmers are of 

 opinion, that crops of corn, planted on a We 



