64 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



plowing deep enough,' and gauged it deeper." I set it back 

 where it was, but during the whole process of cultivation and 

 harvesting, I could distinguish the rows which were plowed 

 while the deep draft was on the plow. The corn was far infe- 

 rior in its appearance while it was growing, and the results 

 in the basket were noticeable as being much less than where 

 it was plowed at the first depth. 



Mr. Gould. I have one or two facts which I can vouch 

 for, upon the question of deep or shallow plowing for corn. 



In 1865, I was appointed by the Agricultural Society of the 

 State of New York a Commissioner to visit the Western States 

 with reference to the study of sorghum. It then appeared 

 that it would be necessary for us in New York to raise our 

 own molasses, and it was with that point in view that I was 

 sent there. The year 1865 was signalized in the agricultural 

 history of Illinois by one of the most extensive and devas- 

 tating frosts in August that have ever occurred in that state. 

 A very large portion of the corn crop was cut off; never 

 ripened at all, and was no sort of use to the owners. In order 

 to examine the sorghum, I obtained from Mr. Ogden, the Presi- 

 dent of the Central Railroad of Illinois, a hand-car, and 

 some Irishmen, so tliat I could stop at any of those sorghum 

 fields that I desired, and acquire information in regard to 

 them. In that way, I was enabled to make such a careful 

 personal examination of the State of Illinois as very few per- 

 sons, in so sliort a time, were ever able to do. I noticed on 

 that occasion, that while an extensive tract of country all 

 around was devastated by these frosts, I would occasionally 

 find a field that was perfectly green and beautiful, and the 

 corn just as good as could possibly be desired. This would 

 sometimes be the case in a field surrounded on every side by 

 fields destroyed by the frost. Of course, in those circum- 

 stances, I made very diligent inquiry to ascertain the circum- 

 stances under which this corn was saved while the other was 

 destroyed, and I invariably found, that the land where the 

 corn had been saved had been plowed deep with a Michigan 

 plow. That was the uniform statement. The same frost 

 that cut off the corn also destroyed the sorghum, and I found 



