174 [Senate 



lation gives them much greater facilities than we enjoy, and they 

 have established the great practical truth, that a deep and per- 

 fectly stirred soil is an essential element of a farmer's success- 

 No one of our several correspondents upon farm management ac- 

 knowledges the use of the subsoil plow ; it really appears, to at least 

 one of the committee, that to follow the first furrow with another team 

 drawing the subsoil plow, and farther deepening it from eight to ten 

 inches, whilst it does not bring this soil to the surface, must be ex- 

 tremely beneficial to all of our root crops, and might be serviceable to 

 corn. It opens the soil where required, together with the ordinary 

 plow, eighteen inches, and thus permits the roots of all plants to 

 penetrate deep, at the same time that it lets off any superfluous or 

 standing water. Good farming must hereafter require the use of 

 this excellent implement in many soils, and the benefits to be 

 derived from it are yet to be more carefully ascertained ; but it cer- 

 tainly promises to be one of incomparable value to the farmer. The 

 subject of plowing is a fruitful theme to descant upon for an observing 

 man, fond of the cultivation of the earth. But as there are yet many 

 other topics to be touched upon, each of great importance to the 

 farmer. The committee will forego any further remark on this 

 branch of the subject, but simply will say that the plow for the last 

 six or eight years has received in its construction, such important 

 improvements as will amply compensate for all the trouble and ex- 

 pense our State and county fairs have ever cost. It is competition 

 that has brought them for exhibition hundreds of miles to our fairs, 

 and this exhibition and competition have been the cause of the im- 

 proved construction of the instrument. One fault now is, that they 

 plow too wide. Remedy that evil, and they will compare for exe- 

 cution with any plows ever made. 



The next class of queries is on the subject of manures, (viz.) 

 " How many loads of manure (30 bushels to the load) do you usually 

 apply to the acre." " How do you manage your manure 1 is it kept 

 under cover 1 how much do you manufacture 1 how much apply 1 of 

 what kind? fermented or unfermented?" &c., &c. This branch of 

 agriculture is of no less importance than the one upon which the 

 committee have already at some length commented, and is equally 



