188 BOAKD OP AGRICULTURE. 



some other. Again a variety of crops may have exhausted the sur- 

 face soil of most of its, plant sustaining properties where shoal 

 plowing has been the pi-actice, and the farmer considers his farm 

 worn out, when, if he would deepen the cultivation a few inches, he 

 would probably turn up to the action of air and water, many impor- 

 tant elements necessary to sustain vegetation. 



It has been contended by some, (I can hardly think they were 

 practical agriculturists,) thit the earth contains within itself all the 

 elements of vegetation, and that it only required right practice in 

 tilling the soil, to constantly bring out and mature the productions 

 of the earth, without the aid of fertilizers ; that as fast as the sur- 

 face soil became exhausted, by bringing up a new soil which had 

 lain dormant for a length of time, all the elements necessary to sus- 

 tain vegetation were alternately reproduced and replaced, and that 

 the process might be continued indefinitely. 



In the renovation of worn out lands as well as in general farming, 

 there is, no doubt, much to be gained by deep cultivation, and by 

 frequently bringing to the surface some of the sub soil, or dead earth 

 as it is frequently termed, and thoroughly mixing and pulverizing 

 together ; but the farmer who neglects to husband all his means to 

 procure fertilizers, and manages to return to the soil the elements 

 taken therefrom by his crops, however perfect his tillage or cultiva- 

 tion, will sooner or later find himself with a worn out farm; and if 

 he cannot realize from his sales of stock, &c., quite as much ready 

 cash, or make as quick turns as from the sales of produce, yet he 

 can hardly fail to see what the end will be in the course pursued. 

 Too much consequence can hardly be attached to the making, saving 

 and application of manures, by those especially who have exhausted 

 lands to renovate ; and while I deem it of the first importance to 

 the cultivator to make the most of his barn yard manure — which may 

 be his chief dependence — yet I think in renovating worn out lands, 

 much advantage may be derived from a right application of calca- 

 reous or other artificial manures. Gypsum, lime and wood ashes 

 are cheap dressing, and pay well on most soils — perhaps best on 

 dry loamy and gravelly. INIost of the cereals and vegetables, par- 

 take largely of these, consequently exhausted soils to a greater or 

 less extent are so, from too large a drain of them without return ; 

 and they can hardly be dipensed with in the recovery of soils so 



