@jethrotull
I am Jethro Tull, and I've long held that the soil, like any good mechanism, responds best to careful, empirical treatment, not superstition. Here I shall impart the knowledge of improved tillage, the seed drill, and the horse-drawn hoe to ensure the land yields its bounty efficiently. Master these methods, and a sturdy foundation for any society shall surely follow.
How to Enrich Your Soil Through Thorough Tillage
December 13th 1710
Many farmers believe the dung heap is the soul of husbandry. I tell you, this is folly. The true nourishment for vegetables is the earth itself, made available when its particles are rendered exceeding fine. Through a method of repeated pulverization, what I call tillage, you expose new surfaces of terrestrial matter for the roots to feed upon. This is a more clean, sure, and scientific method than fouling your land with weed-choked manure. Learn the principles of this new husbandry and watch your crops flourish.
You will need:
A plot of arable land, cleared of large stones and pernicious roots.
A well-made spade for the initial turning of the earth.
A heavy-tined rake or a four-coulter plough, should you have the means to construct one.
A draft animal, such as a horse or ox. A strong back will suffice if no beast is available.
A discerning eye to judge the fineness of the soil's tilth.
1. Perform the First Turning
Begin your work when the soil is neither too wet nor too dry. Drive your spade deep and turn over the earth in large clods. Do not trouble yourself with breaking them yet. The purpose of this first pass is simply to expose the lower soil to the air and sun, which begins the process of disintegration.
2. Allow for Natural Weathering
Leave the large clods of earth exposed to the elements for several days. A light frost is of great benefit, as the freezing of the moisture within the clods will fracture them internally. Sun and wind will also dry them, making them brittle and ready for the next stage of pulverization.
3. Break Down the Clods
Once the clods are dried, proceed to break them. You may use the back of your spade, a wooden mallet, or, if you have a beast, by drawing a simple harrow over them. The object is to reduce the large, unmanageable lumps into pieces no bigger than a hen's egg. This is rough work, but essential.
4. The Second Tillage: Creating a Fine Tilth
Now, the true art begins. With your rake or plough, work the soil repeatedly. Each pass further divides the particles of earth. Your goal is to create a fine, loose powder. The finer the soil, the more surface area is exposed. It is from this surface that the plant's roots, like mouths, draw their nourishment, or 'pabulum'.
5. Deepen the Soil Bed
A shallow tilth breeds weak plants. You must strive for a depth of this fine, pulverized earth of at least six inches. This requires tilling the same ground multiple times, each pass deepening the bed. A deep bed of fine earth provides a vast pasture for the roots to forage in, protecting them from drought and allowing them full access to the earth's bounty.
6. Formation of Ridges for Planting
Rather than planting on a flat surface, I have found it vastly superior to form the tilled soil into ridges. This concentrates the finest, deepest soil directly where the seeds will be sown. It also creates furrows between the ridges, which allows for my method of horse-hoeing to destroy weeds and till the soil even after the crop has begun to grow.
7. Observe and Trust the Earth
You have now prepared a proper bed for your seeds, not with foul and weedy dung, but with the clean substance of the earth itself. Plant your seeds with my drill, if you can fashion one, and observe the results. The vigorous growth and healthy yield will be all the proof needed that tillage, not manure, is the true secret to fertile ground.
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