34 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Jan. 
all belonging to this class, the word manure is one 
full of attraction. 
I remember a somewhat celebrated Scotch farmer, 
who, from experience of their effects, had come to 
like the odors of the most powerful manures. I 
once saw a bottle opened under his nose, whose con¬ 
tents had the vilest smell that I ever perceived, 
and my laboratory occupations have given me a 
somewhat extensive experience in that line. His 
countenance at once expanded in satisfaction, and 
he snuffed up thg savoury fumes with undisguised 
delight; “ that’ll be grand stuff,” said he at last, 
and at once inquired where it could be obtained. 
I would not insist that your readers prefer such 
smells to fresh air,but would like to make them equal¬ 
ly keen in their search for fertilising substances. 
John P. Norton. 
Fall and Winter Plowing. 
Eds. Cultivator —The relative advantages and 
utility of fall or spring plowing, is a subject of vast 
practical importance to the farmer. Each system 
has its ardent and decided champions, but like every 
controverted question, the truth belongs exclusively 
to neither extreme. Either plan, under peculiar 
circumstances, or modifications of soil, condition 
and situation, may be best adapted or most desira¬ 
ble. My own observations and reflections have en¬ 
abled me to adopt rules sufficiently clear and satis¬ 
factory for my personal guidance on this branch of 
farm operations. All other things being equal, fall 
plowing is expedient for the obvious reasons, that 
there is more leisure at that season, the business of 
the farm is not so urgent, and our teams are usually 
more vigorous and better prepared for the perform¬ 
ance of severe and protracted labor. 
Clay and other soils of a heavy and firm texture, 
should, in my judgment, be plowed in the fall, be¬ 
cause they require the powerful and nearly indispen¬ 
sable agency of frost to disintegrate the earthy 
matter, and to decompose the vegetable substances 
they contain. A long period is also requisite for 
the operations of frost, water, and heat, by which 
alone these soils are effectually pulverised. The 
vast body of vegetation growing on the surface and 
embraced in the roots and fibres, which is deposited 
beneath the furrow in these soils, requires a long 
term for its decomposition. The combined agen¬ 
cies of all these processes in the laboratory of na¬ 
ture, will scarcely be sufficient, to produce the 
desired friability of these earths, or to effect the de¬ 
composition of the heavy turf, in season for the 
nourishment and vigorous growth of the young 
plant in the ensuing summer. I prefer to break up 
hard and stony ground, in the autumn, unless the 
work can be performed very early in the spring, 
while the ground is moist and loose. The reasons 
for this preference will be readily appreciated. The 
ground is softened by the autumnal rains, and is 
more readily and with less labor penetrable by the 
plow; the stones and earth are not so adhesive, and 
will be more effectually disturbed and exposed to 
the action of the elements. 
The primary object, however, of this communica¬ 
tion, is to express my dissent to the habit which is 
becoming more prevalent, of plowing light soils in 
the fall. Experience, and careful observation, I 
may assume, enables me to speak with some confi¬ 
dence and authority on this subject. I consider fall 
plowing of this class of soils, especially where sand 
predominates, decidedly pernicious. The loose and 
permeable character of the soil, peculiarly subject 
it, when exposed, to the action of the elements. 
Hence the percolation of the severe rains of autumn 
and spring, and the drenching thaws of winter, 
leach and wash these soils, and bear from them 
much of their fertilising substances. This conse¬ 
quence results not only when the soil is in its natu¬ 
ral state, but even where strong applications of ar¬ 
tificial manures have been made. This is techni¬ 
cally termed the leaching of light soils. The un¬ 
broken turf preserves them from these effects, upon 
these soils. 
In the case of a green sward, fall plowing, ex¬ 
cept on the very verge of winter, is equally and per¬ 
haps more objectionable. I have already stated the 
fact, that where heavy and compact sward prevails, 
a long period, and full action of the elements are 
required to subdue and prepare it to nourish and sus¬ 
tain vegetation. This obvious principle does not 
apply to the soils of which I am now speaking. The 
turf of these soils is not adhesive, wants tenacity 
and strength, and is readily broken and separated 
by the plow. Frost and rains more freely penetrate 
them, and more promptly perform their functions. 
The fermentation which always succeeds the cover¬ 
ing of a grass ley, and which, in evolving the am¬ 
monia and other gases, is so eminently important in 
the vigorous growth of the crop, will in the event 
of fall plowing of light soils, have passed long be¬ 
fore the fibres of the young plants have penetrated 
to its region. Much of the fertilizing influence thus 
produced, will be lost. The disintegration of the 
vegetable matter, turned in by the furrow, will have 
prematurely occurred, and the earth, before the 
roots of the plant have penetrated it, will have set¬ 
tled into a compact mass. 
If it is proposed to occupy a sward land on light 
soil with Indian corn, my experience would suggest 
the plan of plowing it immediately before planting. 
The decomposition of the turf, will then occur at 
the period when the plant most requires its effects, 
and the fermentation, connected with that process, 
will create a genial warmth beneath the furrow, as 
the roots of the young shoots reach that point, and 
will communicate to them a rapid and vigorous im¬ 
pulse. This operation of nature, is accomplished 
in the soils to which I am referring, in a few days, 
but weeks, and perhaps months are necessary to ef¬ 
fect the same results in tough, impenetrable or clay¬ 
ey earths. To the influeuce of these causes, I at¬ 
tribute the marked and rapid changes in the corn 
crop, which so often gladden the heart of the farm¬ 
er, when he perceives the sickly yellow of an un¬ 
promising field, suddenly assuming the deep green, 
approaching the black, that mantles his field with 
beauty, and exhibits a growth of vigor and strength, 
bearing the sure earnest of a rich harvest. The 
roots of the plants are thus nourished by the warmth 
and supported by the process to which I have refer¬ 
red. The conclusion of my observations, is that 
these results would not have been attained by a fall 
plowing, but would have been defeated. These 
opinions are derived, not from speculative theory, 
but are formed from my own observations and ex¬ 
periments. 
I will mention an additional fact, which has be¬ 
come an unchangeable principle in my system of 
agriculture. Under no circumstances, and at no 
season, will I permit a plow to disturb my sandy 
soils, in a period of drouth or peculiar dryness. 
No degree of moisture need arrest the plowman on 
the sand, but to plow when the dust arises from the 
furrow, I have found uniformly disastrous to the suc¬ 
ceeding crop. The prevalence of subsequent rains 
does not appear to avert the evil consequences. I 
