16 



pears from sight, being resolved into its original elements of gasses. All that 

 remains is a very small quantity of ashes, being the mineral elements of the 

 plant or body. These gases pass into the atmosphere. Oxygen unites with 

 all bodies that have lived, when life ceases, and destroys them. Carbon, which 

 is their principal element, becomes carbonic acid gas, which would soon unfit the 

 atmosphere for animal life, had not nature provided two great absorbents of it 

 — the leaves and blades of plants, and the soil. The power of the latter to 

 absorb it is in proportion to the vegetable matter in the soil and its depth. Hence 

 the great necessity of securing this element of fertility by keeping up the vege- 

 table matter of the soil, and by deepening the soil with the plough. It is with 

 this view that we have placed deep ploughing among the agencies by which the 

 fertility of the soil is increased. 



The general standard of fair ploughing is six inches in depth, and the column 

 in our table shows that this standard is reached by most of the States. In 

 Delaware the depth of ploughing is but four inches — the fault, probably, not of 

 ts farmers, as agriculturists, but as correspondents, for we have but one return 

 of our November circular from this State. But this fault will not recur again, 

 as steps are now being taken to secure, through members of Congress, a com- 

 petent correspondent in every county of every State. The western States of 

 Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kansas, range from 

 five to five and a half inches; nearly all other States from six to six and three- 

 fourth inches. The increase in deep ploughing is satisfactory ; the eastern 

 States ranging from a lialf-tenth to one-tenth above the general average of 

 ploughing, and the western States ranging from one-tenth to three-tenths above 

 that average. Hence, progress in deep ploughing is greater in the western 

 States, where most needed, for no matter how rich a soil may be, or how good 

 the crops it yields from shallow ploughing, a proper regard to preserving its 

 fertility requires the deepening of the cultivated soil. 



6. The weather. — The climate of the Mississippi valley has been characterized 

 by the severity that has been noticed in all of our monthly reports since July. 

 Near the southern boundary line of Iowa, the thei-mometer has been down to ten 

 degrees below zero, and snow has fallen to a foot in depth. The same cause 

 that produced the frosts of July, August, and September seems still to be 

 operating. But, generally, the weather has been very fovorable for the recently 

 sown crops and farm work. Our columns under the head of weather in the 

 table, show 768 weeks favorable, 398 dry, and 435 wet; and but 31 very dry, 

 and 51 very wet. This is as favorable as could be expected in a climate so 

 varied as that of the States from which the returns are made. A result of this 

 favorable condition is, that pastures have kept up, and but little feeding, other 

 than pasturing, Avas necessary before the middle of December. The meteoro- 

 logical part of this report will be found more than usually interesting. 



EXPORTS AND IMPOSTS. 



Under this head we design to give a monthly statement of the exports of 

 breadstuff's and of meats for the past year, ending the 1st day of last September 

 as to breadstulfL, and from that time to the publishing of each report. The 

 general imports and exports will also be given, that our readers may see how 

 the national family is living; whether economically, within its means; or ex- 

 travagantly, beyond them. 



