Deeimihif) the Staple Soil. 545' 



although in 1840 we ploughed up stiff clay early in March, when 

 it got thoroughly dried by sun and wind, then by genial showers 

 got well damped through, and while so was well worked with the 

 grubber, &c., which got it into a much better state lor a crop 

 than by autumn cultivation : the difference was just this — the 

 soil in the spring cultivation is reduced into small clods, that are 

 not liable to run again into one another and to form a plastic 

 mass when a heavy glut of wet falls ; as the interstices are more 

 permeable to air, moistuie, and heat, the aeration goes on more 

 freely, while the atoms of soil are sufficiently small to prevent 

 drought from entering injuriously ; but this is a state of ihings 

 that can only be obtained where the climate can be relied upon, 

 whereas in clay deep-ploughed in autumn all that is re- 

 quired is to guard against working the soil while wet and 

 leaving a smooth surface : we therefore never leave the land with 

 either a harrowed or rolled surface, always letting the land 

 rest after the grubber, which brings the clods and roots to the 

 surface, and leaves the land in hollow furrowed lines where the 

 coulters have passed through the soil. The battering effect of 

 wet weather is thus nullified by the clods and furrowed surface, 

 while the furrowed shape of the surface induces the bulk ol the 

 rain-water to get into the hollow, where the coulter has left an 

 open fissure, facilitating its escape into the subsoil, thence to 

 the drains or other outlets, and preventing the excessive wasldng 

 of the soil. 



We feel it our duty to give our experience of failures in deep 

 cultivation, with the causes thereof. First, we have never found 

 our deep system wrong upon clay soils ; secondly, we have 

 seldom found it beneficial on sandy soils; indeed, on real 

 sandy soils we do not hesitate to state from experience that 

 deep cultivation is injurious, but upon light calcareous sand 

 we have found it highly beneficial — the action of frost and 

 atmospheric changes break up and reduce the minute lime- 

 stones, giving the soil more body and tenacity, thereby rend(Mlng 

 it fit to grow heavier crops of cereals. On all rocky, stony, or 

 gravelly s(/ils, we have found deep cultivation to be the sound 

 and correct system ; but where deep cullivallon has had the most 

 immediate and also lasting effect is in soil of a light vegetable 

 or inoory nature, j)rovide(l the subsoil was anything l)ut white or 

 black sand, and was j)loughed up and incorj)oiated well with 

 the soil. -As to the ciialk hills, we cannot give any opinion from 

 actual experience ; but thus much is certain, that the laniiers 

 on the ^ (irkshire wohls are perhaps the sliallowest cultivators 

 in the kingdom, while, if we judge by the cleanliness and 

 abundance of their cro])s, they are scarcely excelled by any other 



