Deep Cultivation, its Effects on the Soil, 

 Mechanically and Chemically. 



By ALEX. JEMMETT, Muerell Hill Faem, Binfield, Bracknell, Berks. 



With so ■wide a range and varied dcsenption of soil to tax the energy 

 and intelligence of the agriculturist, there \vould at first sight seem 

 but little hope that this subject could, with practical advantage, be 

 dealt with within the scope of a necessarily circumscribed and short 

 paper. However, casting aside whatever disadvantages may pre- 

 sent themselves, we may enumerate a few at least of the advantages 

 within our reach, by means of thorough and deep culture. It is 

 incomprehensible that farmers — at least a very large majority — will 

 content themselves with cultivating their land to only a few inches in 

 depth, ignoring that storehouse of plant food lying within their grasp, 

 below the upper stratum or layer of the soil, requiring but deeper 

 manipulation to convert, with the aid of atmospheric influences — air 

 and moisture — its available though pent-up substances into food 

 congenial to the production of vegetable life. Seldom can any well- 

 defined reason be given, but that, should the subsoil be interfered with 

 to any appreciable depth, the crop Avill be injured, regardless that, by 

 deep and thorough moving, the earth is made more porous and friable, 

 which practical experience has proven tends to increase its productive- 

 ness. It is not on the experience of the present race of tillers of the 

 soil, notably gardeners and nurserymen, only that we nuiy rely for 

 evidence of the usefulness — nay, necessity — of deeply moved ground, 

 for the historical pages of past centuries can be quoted to strengthen 

 and support our opinion and practice. The natives of the Celestial 

 Empire have for many centuries past brought wonderful skill to bear 

 on all the essential points of agriculture. The Romans for ages before 

 the Christian era laid great stress on the efiicient cultivation of the soil ; 

 one of their notable men. Columella, mentions that " the Romans tilled 

 their ground two feet deep." " Superfluous moisture must be drawn 

 off" by ditches," writes the same authority, and this is most essential, 

 indeed a sine qua noii, before deep cultivation can be brought into 

 request with any hope of success. But as this subject — drainage- -has 

 been most exhaustively and judiciously treated on in your pages (078), 

 we need not further allude to it, beyond the hope that your readers Avill 

 study that excellent paper, previoub to any utep being taken in deL|) 



