tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
When do farmers typically plow their fields? I never paid it much attention but now that we're relic hunting It's pretty pertinent information that I need to hone in on.
Plowed fields
- Thread starter tree_ghost
- Start date
Most farmers practice no-till.
Some produce and tobacco farmers still plow.
When? It all depends on if the farmer wants to fall or spring plow.
Keep scouting and you should find something eventually.
Happy Trails
Some produce and tobacco farmers still plow.
When? It all depends on if the farmer wants to fall or spring plow.
Keep scouting and you should find something eventually.
Happy Trails
BClark66
Member
You don't see a lot of plowing these days especially with bigger farms. Back in the 70s and 80s my dad would plow river bottom land and my mom would walk behind the tractor and find all kind of artifacts. I miss the days of the small time farmer.
Wiley
Well-Known Member
After green up in the Spring I'm gonna put an old 2 bottom disc plow to work on my food plots in Hardin County. Over the years one plot has produced a few points after being disced and then getting a good rain. I believe there was a village at that location back in the day. Probably gonna turn it about a foot deep. I get excited just thinking of the possibilities of what might turn up in that plot. In my ignorance I have picked up and tossed several hammer stone type of round/oblong creek rocks from that field over the years.
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I hope you find a bunch of killers.
It would be nice to get some rain directly after you plow and before you disk.
I always tried to plow right before rain was forecast and before the soil would dry out too much, and a lot of times it would melt like butter if it was a heavy rain, and that flint shines like a silver dollar about one to three hours after the rain and the dirt begins to slowly dry out. We know our chances of damage increase after we disk so I kept plowing several times before I ever disked. In addition, I was trying to kill out some thorned honey locus. I would let as much rain as possible on the plowed area before I disked, but I understand you are trying to plant as well. I eventually planted some Ladino clover, but it was fun until then.
At the risk of sounding like Im patronizing, try and remember that it is super easy to walk right past them and there could be the tiniest of edge exposed and that walking it systematically in every direction and looking from every angle can help. My best vision is on cloudy days because it doesn't cast a shadow from the larger clods of dirt, sometimes making it more difficult imo.
Good luck and happy Trails
I hope you can find some broken ground to hunt and find some good ones. Tobacco country will still have plowed and disked fields, but most row cropping is now No Till.
Wiley
Well-Known Member
Before no-till was a thing, farmers turned their fields after the Fall harvest. They'd bush hog whatever the harvest left and then pull a turning plow to basically turn the field root side up and let that lay all winter. This did a couple of things. It buried whatever vegetation was on the field and let it rot/build the soil. The exposed the roots killed whatever plant they were a part of. After being left like this from about November until sometime in March the fields were disced and then a section harrow/spike harrow was pulled over them to pulverize clods and level the field for an optimum seedbed ready for planting the Spring crop. The annual turning of the fields is what brought artifacts to the surface.
