544 Deepening the Staple Soil. 



our readers with a drawing of them which may be the means 

 of simplifying the way to those who have l)een in times past mere 

 scratchers rather than cultivators of the earth. (See figures and 

 description at the end of this essay.) 



Our system of ploughing has been genei'ally much laughed at, 

 but we have found it the best for accomplishing the end we had 

 in view, viz. exposing the greatest surface to the action of air, 

 light, and frost; therefore we even now dare to put it forward 

 in this essay, for the consideration of others, who have by expe- 

 rience found the advantages of exposing the greatest possible 

 surface to the free action of the atmospheric changes. In order 

 to attain this object, we have found it best to use a plough, long 

 in the breast of the turnfurrow, or wrest, but short after passing 

 the vertical part, so that it may leave the furrow only half turned, 

 that is standing on edge, leaving an open space between each 

 furrow slice, equal to the difference betwixt the width and depth 

 of the furrow. Tliis space leaves three sides of the slice to the 

 action of the weather, while all the seeds of weeds, &c., that have 

 been shed on the surface are under the influence of the air. In 

 a Avarm well-sheltered valley, where vegetation is encouraged 

 thus, by the time the first spring stirring takes place the plants 

 from such seed have all vegetated ready for easy destruction ; 

 and from the pulverizing influence of atmospheric changes, the 

 soil is well prepared to part with any root-weeds that may still 

 be left there, and which, by the use of a good grubber or culti- 

 vator, are raised to the surface. The thorough amalgamation of 

 the soil takes place when the land is dry ; we might leave out 

 this remark here, as we believe no member of the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society would attempt such an operation while the land was 

 wet. We have found that, in the great majority of seasons, the 

 earlier after harvest our deep ploughing was done the better, 

 although we have obtained some good results from deep plough- 

 ing in spring; it is proper to mention here, that we have seldom 

 successfully cultivated deep for anything but root-crops, fallow, 

 and oats, seldom, we may say never, ploughing a second time for 

 these crops, all the subsequent amalgamation and pulverizing of 

 the soil being done with the grubber, harrow, and roller ; thus 

 the land is prepared without evaporating the moisture, so much 

 required to hasten the vegetation and growth of the seed into a 

 well-developed plant, that can bear the tortures of the fly, &c., 

 under the influence of a scorching sun. 



We ought to state, that in certain seasons strong clay is got 

 into a much better state by deep ploughing in spring than in 

 autumn ; but as these seasons have always been great exceptions 

 where we have lived, we have not practised the system generally, 



