On Trench Ploughing. 243 



trenched ground requires, after it has, by lying over a 

 winter in fallow, received its supplies from the air, less 

 manure^ than that ploughed in any other way. I say 

 not this dogmatically; but from practical conviction. 

 I am as ready, on all occasions, to acknowledge an er- 

 ror, as I am to support a truth. 



Planter does not operate till animal, or vegetable 

 putrefied substances are restored, to trenched soils. 



My course was, in four years — 



1. In the autumn to trench. 



2. A crop of Indian corn — sometimes j&ea^e ; oron part 

 jiax — also carrots^ scarcity roots, potatoes, piimpkinSy 

 and such crops ; in which I had great success. I ap- 

 plied lime ; never exceeding eighty bushels per acre ; 

 but commonly fifty. The corn, plaistered, yielded 

 abundantly ; but it required shovelings, or some dung, 

 in the hills, to give activity to the plaister. 



3. Ploughed in the usual way dunged, with 



about twelve to fifteen cart loads, (two oxen and an 

 horse in the team) to the acre. JVheat — whereof I liave 

 had from twenty-five, to forty bushels to the acre, per- 

 fectly clean — the former not uncommon, on fields which 

 before yielded seven to ten ; and that mixed with gar- 

 lic, most disgustingly. 



ficient. In stiff soils the more strength of draft, the less the 

 animals are fatigued ; and the business is the sooner per- 

 formed. Those Avho have not horses or oxen competent to 

 the operation, are the least likely to adopt or approve it. — 

 And few of those who could accomplish it if they were so 

 inclined, will permit themselves to believe in its usefulness. 



