Lynchburg Virginian

On the different effects of burning, and ploughing in, rough vegetable matter.

To the Editor of the Farmers' Register.

A correspondent in your February No. page 577 very properly comments on the advantage and propriety of every writer for your paper signing his proper name, to all communications, stating facts in agriculture. His remarks are sound, and well expressed. We cannot all write either with elegance or learning. But, there are few farmers that are subscribers to the Register, who are unable to express the results of their experience, in "brief and good phrase." Numbers have already attempted it, under their own signatures, with complete success, and beneficially, to the community. We ought all to be aware that your work is not intended for the display of fine writing or book learning; and, whoever writes for it, should make his style as plain as he can, avoiding technicalities, when it can be done from the foreign or dictionary, at best, when there is a corresponding expression in our own tongue. The sciences, connected with agriculture, have peculiar terms that cannot be well dropped; but, wherever it is possible, the common parlance mode of conveying the same idea ought to be employed also, that every class of readers may get the meaning with the least trouble.

The correspondent alluded to, Peter De Quir, ought to have practised on his own rule. He adds a P. S. to his letter, and asks the following questions, to be answered, either by the editor, or some of his friends.

"Is it ever advantageous or proper to burn land? Is there any kind of vegetation which grows in our fields, that it would be more profitable to burn off than plough under? Will the ashes produced thereby, compensate for the loss of vegetable matter will not the crop be better the first year when coarse grass or broom sedge is burnt, than it would be, if ploughed in? But will not the land be ultimately benefited in a greater degree by turning in such a cover?"

Many years' observation on the subject of these questions has enabled me to form an opinion on them, which I think is not essentially different from the opinions of most practical farmers. That opinion, however, is at the service of P. D. Q. and others, who have doubts on so plain a subject.

There are very few circumstances that can justify burning. With some men, who use small ploughs, and advocate shallow ploughing, it is a custom to burn the dead vegetable matter on their fields, when it is the least in the way of their ploughs, and particularly for corn and oats. I have endeavored to reason several out of the practice; but was actually laughed at by them, as a theorist. I have noticed, that, if the dead matter be so thick as to impede the perfect operation of ploughing it under, the after tillage, if corn be the crop, is more difficult; and when the covering is broom sedge or very coarse grass, the first crop is apt to suffer, from the ground not being properly pulverized in time. If the crop be wheat or rye, it is greatly helped by turning in any sort of cover. Grasses and weeds with their roots and sods are frequently gathered into piles by the harrow, after bad ploughing; yet, upon these very spots the crop is almost always more luxuriant and productive-showing, plainly, the advantage of the vegetable matter thus gathered together.

After any heavy covering is ploughed under, which is more easily done with the help of a weighty chain, the harrow should follow while the ground is mellow, and then the roller. The harrow fills up all the cracks and breaks left by the plough, levels and pulverizes the soil; the roller mashes it down and presses the layer of vegetable matter into a small compass. When thus treated, fermentation and decomposition follow as soon as enough heat and moisture are supplied by the seasons. Whatever is thus turned under in the fall or winter, will be found mouldy and tender in the spring, and soon becomes food for plants. Broom-sedge is the most difficult to make rot; but even that rots time enough to benefit wheat. If the unavoidable openings and chinks left by the plough be not filled up and pressed down, fermentation will not take place soon enough, in consequence of a too free circulation of air: and the soil on top, not coming near enough to the earth below, is apt the sooner to suffer from drought. But these things are too plain to occupy more time in explaining.

Some of the largest corn crops ever produced in the United States, were made on land, in good heart, that was covered over with a thick sod and coat of vegetable matter. It was well manured, broadcast; ploughed completely over, harrowed and pressed down with the roller. But the after tillage was not more than three inches deep; neither breaking nor turning up the sod again. I am inclined to think that all vegetable matter put below the operation of tillage and pressed down, must greatly improve the land, and if not disturbed, enlarge the crop growing, during the process of decomposition. The stratum will not be thick: it freely admits and retains moisture, and as soon as the mould commences to form, supplies a fluid food to the roots that are spreading out in every direction in search of food.

The tobacco planters' idea of cleaning up green growth by raking up the leaves and trash and half decayed vegetable matter, and then burning it all, is a wasteful operation. These materials, if spread on exhausted spots in the fields, and ploughed in, would impart life enough to throw up such a crop of rye, or oats and clover, as to make it easy afterwards to restore them to their original fertility. The use of wheat straw, chaff, or leaves will result in the same benefit. It is contended by some of the best farmers, that top dressing of straw and chaff is the best mode of using them for improving land. He that advocates burning, will be convinced of its rapidly impoverishing effects, by taking an acre of his best soil, cultivating it in his usual way- carrying off all the crop, and after small grain, burning off the stubble, & then the grass in the fall, and burning the grass also in the fall, after corn. This process will entirely exhaust the vegetable matter in the soil, and render it literally sterile. Those crops have been considered the most improving which either leave the most on the ground. or add most to the manure heap. In the culture of tobacco, all other vegetation is kept entirely down quite until frost, and all the crop, save the root and a short end of the stalk, is carried off. The renovating nature of the clover crop is mostly owing to the tap root of the plant being so large and long, keeping the land light and divided, and its yielding such a heavy coat of vegetable matter. It throws up successive crops of spires and leaves in the same season-the earlier constantly falling and decaying amid the sprinkling verdure of the younger growth, until frost chills all vegetable life. Below the mountains the heat of summer matures the greater part of the first crop, and dries up that as well as the younger shoots. But as soon as "the dog days" are gone, the verdure starts again. Whoever examines a field that has stood in clover, will find it covered with a black fertilizing dust or mould, more or less perceptible, as the rains have been light or heavy. Such of it as has become decomposed is apt to be partly mingled with the top soil from its tender succulent nature, clover rots sooner than weeds or grass, and becomes nutritious to plants. But the same process takes place, and for the same wise- purpose of nature, with every species of vegetation, from the majestic forest tree down to hair like hen's grass-converting all into fertilizing matter. The ratio of their value is probably unknown to the most skilful in the science of chemical analysis But I did not take up my pen to write an essay on manures

That ashes are stimulating to plants, or rather aid in the process of feeding them, is well known and they are highly valued by every good husband man I am. I have never seen any vegetable growing in pure ashes, and rather that their action is in combination with earth and putrescent matter. The quantity of ashes left on land after burning, is so small, compared with the quantity of unquestionable food for plants that would be created by the de composition of the same covering, that the loss by burning must be manifest. Let any one burn a portion of hay, straw, grass, or weeds in such a way as to save all the ashes He will be surprised at the smallness of the quantity. Let him spread it on a plot of ground, and then spread the same weight of the material burnt, on another plot of the same size, and either plough in or not. The mere contemplation of what would be the result, it seems to me, will decide the question. If not, I am egregiously mistaken in my notions, and ashes are worth more than their weight in silver!

It is sometimes necessary and "advantageous" to burn meadows when they begin to be overrun with broomsedge; for the three-fold purpose of destroying the seeds of the sedge-giving the grass a chance to rise and cover the ground in the spring to rye; the later growth of sedge puts up-and it is not convenient to plough up mid re-seed the meadow, burning will make it hold out against the encroachments of wild growth two years, and sometimes more, beyond the time at which, without burning, the hay would hardly be worth cutting Wire grass and its roots should always be burnt; and so ought thistles. Fire is the surest destroyer of these pests. Briars are easily cut down with knives made for the purpose, and they form a valuable covering over galled spots, or add to the manure bank. When not in patches the plough sufficiently masters them. Annual burning tends to impoverish and harden the soil of even the richest wood land.

I have, Mr. Editor, in a lame, and I fear, tedious manner, endeavored to answer your correspondent, Peter De Quir. Since he did not act on his own recommendation to here, he cannot complain that his queries have not been responded to in propria nomine. But if he does, he has only to adopt the Arabic mode, and read backwards.

PETER DE QUIR.

RIUQEDRETEP.