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XIX. — On the different ]\[cchanical Modes of Deeimning the Staple 

 Soil, in order to give it the full benefit of Atmospheric Influence. 

 By Peter Love, late of Manor Farm, Xaseby, Northampton- 

 shire. 



We conceive that the best way to write on any practical sub- 

 ject, is to follow the track of our own experience upon it as nearly 

 as possible, without takin<i; up too much time in laying such ex- 

 perience before our readers. We may first state that we have 

 been extra-deep cultivators for upwards of thirty years, and our 

 experience, in actually carrying out the plan, has extended over 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland, upon many hundred acres of 

 which the soil and difference of climate were very considerable. 



We will begin by speaking of the effects of deep j)loughing in 

 autumn. But first we umst solve the question what is deep 

 ploughing? We have always laid it down as a rule, that ])lough" 

 ing land one-third deeper than had been the practice of the former 

 cultivators is deep ploughing, and this rule Ave act upon every 

 time the land is in roots, or fallow, until a foot is gained (which 

 we have found the maximum desirable) ; it will be found that, 

 where the four-field rotation and shallow cultivation is practised 

 (as in the wolds of Yorkshire), where four inches is the general 

 maximum depth, twenty years will have elapsed by the time a 

 farm has been got to the depth of staple stated. We are quite 

 satisfied that it is only for the root, or fallow crops, and oats, 

 that deep ploughing is advantageous ; we have ever found that 

 for wheat, barley, beans, and peas, shallow j)loughing produces 

 both greater quantity and better quality of grain. We have 

 always found that the earlier deep ploughing is done the better, 

 and therefore have set the grubber to work as soon as the corn 

 was off the land ; indeed, in showery harvests we have frequently 

 gone to work between the rows of shocks or stooks, so that the 

 twitch and other weeds should be first cleared from the land, 

 after which we ploughed tlie land from nine to twelve inches deep, 

 with three horses going abreast ; four, two-and-two abreast ; or six, 

 three-and-three abreast, with in every case the drauglit equalized, 

 without which the deep ploughing of real stiff clay is almost 

 insurmountable, because the power of making every horse draw 

 exactly the same is (we must say), from long experience, indis- 

 pensable .to the comfortable accomplishment of this heavv ojx-ra- 

 tion, where a number of horses must be cmploved ; indeed wo 

 often wished we could as easily deal with our men. Although it 

 may almost appear superfluous to many of those who ha\ e so 

 long seen our equalizing swingletrees at work, we will ])resent 



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