10 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



into soil that the plough has not moved, but really compacted, 

 and to a considerable extent out of the reach of plants ; 

 thus being wasted. If, on the other hand, there is a continued 

 drought, the moisture of the deeper soil rises to replace that 

 which lias been evaporated during the day, and carries with it 

 such portions of the manure as have become soluble. It would 

 seem that this latter action must necessarily be much less in 

 amount than the former, though if continued for a length of time 

 it would become considerable. Most of the gaseous compounds 

 formed in the decomposition of manure would, by their specific 

 gravity, tend to ascend, but they are generally soluble in water ; 

 and ammonia, one of the most valuable, is not only dissolved 

 by water, but absorbed and retained by either carbon or alu- 

 mina, more or less of one of which are to be found in all fertile 

 soils ; so that before this gas could have made much progress 

 in an upward direction, it would be arrested by one of these 

 agents. 



The second mode of manuring to be considered is that where 

 the manure is buried to about half the depth of the first plough- 

 ing. This is usually done by a small plough running across 

 the furrows made by the first ploughing. The argument for 

 this depth is, that although the staple of the manure is no more 

 diffused through the soil than it was in the other case, yet by 

 the frequent rains, the soluble matters are carried downwards, 

 and during dry weather the movement of the same soluble mat- 

 ters is upwards ; and as they both take place in that part of the 

 soil which has been moved by the plough, the plant food really 

 becomes more or less diffused throughout the space occupied by 

 the roots of the growing plants. 



In the third method, the manure is spread upon the surface 

 and worked in, cither with a harrow, cultivator, or brush. 

 None of these implements cover it to any great depth, but give 

 each separate portion of the manure a thin coating of loam. 

 The reason urged for this practice is, that by far the greatest 

 portion of the soluble parts of the manure are diffused through 

 the soil by rains, and by the thorough mixing of the manure 

 with the surface soil, the soluble matters will be carried down 

 by every shower in a more perfect manner than can be attained 

 in any other disposition of it. The argument against it is, that 

 although it may do well in a wet season, yet in a dry one the 



