74 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
Breaking Prairies—The Opinion of an 
Old Pioneer. 
This is an important subject, both to those al¬ 
ready living at the West, and to those "who con¬ 
template going thither. There is much to be 
said on both sides of the question of making 
the first plowing deep or shallow , and we are 
glad to have the subject, within reasonable lim¬ 
its, fully discussed in the columns of the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist , which circulates more widely 
than any other journal all over the prairie re¬ 
gions, even to the most distant points penetrated 
by the pioneers. In our December issue (page 
363) and in January (page 11) we have given 
one side, and below is an intelligent letter on 
the other side. Judging from considerable ac¬ 
tual observation, our own opinion has been, that 
for immediate cropping , turning over a thin sod 
is best. The grass is speedily killed at the top, 
and the lower roots are smothered. It, after 
taking a summer corn crop from this, it is turn¬ 
ed deep under, the new soil brought up is ame¬ 
liorated by winter freezing, and is then ready 
for a spring crop. If the deeper new soil, that 
has long lain below the free access of air, be 
turned up and planted to com, it will not do 
well. If plowed deep in early summer, and 
left thus, it will be moderately fitted for autumn 
or spring wheat, and the slowly decaying sod 
beneath will furnish a good nest, as well as food 
for the wheat roots. We should therefore say, 
that the question depends very much upon the 
relative importance of the first season’s corn crop, 
as compared with that of the following wheat 
crop. I If a good yield of corn is imperatively 
necessary to a new settler, let him break shallow 
at first and plow deeper afterward. If he can 
wait for the wheat, and also to get the best pos¬ 
sible future condition of the soil, let him at once 
mix the surface sod with the lower soil, some 
of it at least as deeply as possible. But hear 
our correspondent: 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
Having had about as much experience as a 
prairie breaker, as any pioneer who remains 
among us, and although assenting, in the days 
of yore, to most of the averments of Messrs. 
Darby and Barrett, in the Dec. Agriculturist, 
I, at the present time, decidedly dissent from 
some of their conclusions. Twenty years ago 
I deemed that the best breaking which was the 
shallowest, and boasted that I could cut and 
cover at less depth than two inches. Even 
now, I have no doubt this depth is about right 
for the special purpose of putting in a crop of 
wheat the same season, before the autumnal 
equinox. Yet even then, I thought it well to go 
three or four times as deep, in cross-plowing the 
ground for corn.—Breaking prairie is a work 
accompanying pioneer life, and as oxen are 
the best teams for most pioneers, they are best 
to break up prairies. Horses; to do much 
at the business, must have a good supply of 
grain or they will run down, and grain is a 
costly article with pioneers, while prairie grass 
is most abundant. Strong ox teams may be 
hurried throughout the proper season of break¬ 
ing (say from fifty to sixty days, commencing 
as soon as there is a full bite of grass for the 
teams) and yet increase in flesh. I have broken 
16 acres by the week, with five and six yoke, 
without reducing the condition of my team. 
To do a first rate business at breaking, in timber 
lands or “barrens,” much of the team should 
have horns, because in all such places the plow 
should go as near a foot deep as possible. Two 
pioneers being neighbors, and having between 
them four yoke of good cattle, and some steers, 
may unite their forces, and break more and far 
better, with such a team, and the right hind of a 
plou), than three men, each plowing with a span 
of horses, would be at all likely to break. Some 
dozen years ago, I remarked to a friend, who 
was breaking in “the barrens,” with rather a 
light team, that he had better increase his team, 
so as to break his ground fully twice as deep. 
After debating the question at length, he added 
six head to his team and broke accordingly. 
Several years afterwards, that friend assured 
me that the line where the depth of the break¬ 
ing was doubled, had been manifest in every 
crop he had grown upon it since. Experience 
and observation justify me in saying to all who 
can open farms, where the soil and climate are 
similar to that of Illinois, break or plow all 
of the rich loams at least one foot deep. This 
is imperative, if they would grow abundant crops 
of corn. Ho good farmer should aim at less 
than 70 or 80 bushels to the acre, which is 
more than twice what Illinois farmers com¬ 
monly get. If any one will manage his corn 
field “ first rate ” in all respects, I will add 20 
bushels to the above, as what he may reason¬ 
ably aim to secure—this, without using a hoe 
after planting. Such plowing will also very 
much increase the yield of most of other crops, 
small grains and grass. In light, sandy soils, 
turning up the ground 12 inches deep, might 
not only fail to pay well, but might be in some 
cases deleterious on account of letting fertilizers 
sink too deep into the ground. Let me further 
say to the pioneer who is constrained to break 
shallow, and as late as in the month of June, to 
grow a crop of sod corn. Get for seed, either 
Canada flint, Rhode Island Premium, Squaw 
corn, or some kind which will mature in sixty 
days. I have put out, such as I got from the 
Indians, called Squaw corn. The ground was 
broken as late as the 12th of June, less than 
two inches deep, and the yield was very good. 
It ripened fully in August. Still, had July and 
August of that year been as dry as those months 
often are, it is not likely I should have got my 
seed back. J. Weldon, Winnebago Co., Ill. 
Spring Plowing. 
The labors of seed time always crowd the 
farmer, so the earlier the plow begins its work, 
the better. On soils of a sandy and porous 
character plowing may best be done as soon as 
the frost is out of the ground. Where clay pre¬ 
ponderates, or in soils rich in humus, the action 
of the sun is needed for several days. It is very 
bad to plow clay ground too wet, and all that 
surface and under-drains can accomplish will 
not do away with the necessity of the drying 
northwest winds and clear weather “ looked for 
about these days.”—Thorough draining often 
makes a difference of weeks and even months 
in the time the land is fit for the plow. In 
plowing sward for spring grain, turn it flat and 
deep, so that the harrow or seed drill will not 
disturb it. If manure is to be plowed under on 
old ground, bury it with a shallow furrow, just 
deep enough to keep the strawy portions out of 
the way. Very strawy manure on land to be 
sowed with wheat, oats or barley, may well be 
spread in the furrows behind the plow, where 
very nice work is to be done. When land needs 
liming—and before a crop of wheat, a dressing of 
lime is often of great service; sow the lime be¬ 
fore plowing, rather than to be subsequently 
harrowed in. Though on ground rather cold 
and full of vegetable mold it is well to plow 
under say 15 to 20 bushels of lime to the acre, 
and top-dress with 8 or 10 bushels afterwards. 
Back-furrowing is practised by many good 
farmers to prevent the accumulation of a mass 
of rich soil against the fences. This is done 
by marking out the lands, of course as large as 
possible, and throwing a couple of light fur¬ 
rows together through the centre and then 
plowing right about, around them. If the first 
turned furrows do not go to the end of the 
field, at the proper time the plowman may 
begin to plow across the end of the land also. 
When the right calculations are made, the field 
may be left without dead furrows, except where 
it may be necessary to have two or more lands 
in the same field. This, where the land admits 
flat culture, requires no dead furrows or ridges. 
Cotton Growing by Northerners. 
The disastrous frost, last August, gave north¬ 
ern cotton growing a pretty decisive check. 
Though this frost was altogether out of the 
usual course, yet the most sanguine now hard¬ 
ly claim that this southern production can 
ever become a staple crop above 38° north lati¬ 
tude, except perhaps in a few specially favored 
locations. There is, however, a field opened for 
northern enterprise and capital upon which 
pioneers have entered with fair promise of 
success. A large part of the country along 
both sides of the Mississippi river, from Memphis 
to Hew Orleans, is now in the hands of the 
government, having been abandoned by its dis¬ 
loyal owners. Three Commissioners of Planta¬ 
tions have been appointed to superintend the 
leasing of these lands, for the present year. 
They meet at Vicksburgh every few weeks, to 
decide upon applications. The following con¬ 
ditions are required : For the use of the lands 
the occupant engages to pay the government, in 
lieu of rent, a tax of $4 per bale of cotton raised 
thereon, and 5 cents per bushel of corn and po¬ 
tatoes, and to pay one half the value of the un¬ 
gathered crops that may be on the farm at the 
period of entering upon it. The lessee has to 
employ at least one able-bodied negro to eight 
acres of improved land, permitting the children 
of the employed person to accompany them, 
and engage to feed and clothe them, and to 
permit the children to attend the nearest school. 
The wages to be paid the hands are as follows: 
Seven dollars per month to able-bodied males 
over fifteen years of age, five dollars per month 
to able-bodied females over fifteen years of age, 
and for children between twelve and fifteen 
years of age, half price—it being understood 
that no person under twelve years of age shall 
be required to labor as a field hand. Appli¬ 
cations to the Commissioners are to be made in 
writing accompanied by proof of loyalty, and 
pecuniary and business capacity to carry on a 
plantation. Hecessary passes may be obtained 
at any military post on the Mississippi on the 
presentation of the references which a person 
going there on such business should have. Les¬ 
sees can purchase supplies of Quartermasters 
at military posts within the cotton region. 
Those who engaged in the business last 
year are reported to have made money. m The 
drawbacks to this enterprise are the large 
amount of capital required, and the liability to 
rebel raids. Both these may be in a measure 
obviated by association of parties, although 
there are doubtless smalls plantations where 
$3000 to $4000 might suffice. Colonies of men 
of the right stamp scattered through the valley 
| would very soon put a quietus to guerrilla sor- 
