64 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



Report of the Committee. 



Notwitlistandino; the great importance, not to say the absolute 

 necessity of deep tillage on certain soils, to insure an abundant 

 and paying crop, yet few seem disposed practically to believe it. 

 They readily admit the theory, but, for some unaccountable 

 reason, they are slow to practise. We renture to say, that it is 

 impossible to reclaim, and make productive, any land, high or 

 low, marshy or otherwise, which has a hard, clayey subsoil, 

 without deep tillage. This is absolutely essential on land of 

 this kind, 'if a paying crop is to be obtained ; for, in no other 

 way, oftentimes, can the surface water be successfully drained 

 off. In almost all cases, the subsoil plow will drain the land 

 more effectually than either blind or open ditches. Let this 

 plough follow the common one, loosening the earth as far below 

 the first furrow as that furrow is deep, and the entire field thus 

 ploughed is underdrained ; the water contained in the surface 

 soil being received by tlie loosened subsoil below, and, being 

 retained there, furnishes moisture for the growing crop in time 

 of drought. Experience has demonstrated that, on soils of the 

 kind under consideration, all crops and grasses are much bene- 

 fited by subsoiling. The roots of crops go down for sustenance 

 and moisture, as well as search for them on every side. We 

 cannot too strongly urge upon our brother farmers the use of 

 this plough, especially on hard soils. Use it for spring crops, 

 use it for winter grain, and use it if you would have good 

 meadows. 



S. C. Wilder, Chairman. 



Experiments of Albert Montague. 



I present for consideration a statement of the effect of sub- 

 soil ploughing upon three pieces of land of similar soil, and in 

 about the same state of cultivation. I ploughed the land seven 

 to eight inches deep and subsoiled six to seven inches. 



No. 1 was a piece upon which a crop of corn was taken last 

 year. It contained one acre. One half of it was subsoiled. 

 The whole piece had been equally manured, and treated alike 



