32 Market Gardening, 



In fact, there are but very few good ploughmen to 

 be had, and any employer is fortunate if he gets one. 

 Many men will call themselves good at ploughing; but 

 the men who really understand it, and do it as it should 

 be done, are very scarce. When such a man is found, 

 he should be kept on the place, if possible. 



In ploughing land for the different crops, some plough 

 about the same depth for everything ; but the 'depth 

 ought to be varied so as to suit the crop. For instance : 

 all root crops should be ploughed from ten to twelve 

 inches ; while, for vine crops, six inches would be quite 

 sufficient. Many take, in all cases, all they can to the 

 furrow, making it, say, twelve or fourteen inches wide ; 

 but where the land is ploughed twelve inches deep, 

 and a coat of manure is turned under at the same time, 

 eight inches is wide enough to turn the furrow. In 

 a "first-time" ploughing, of six inches deep, with no 

 manure to turn under, twelve or fourteen inches may 

 be taken at each furrow. Always plough all the land 

 once in the fall and twice in the spring, but never 

 when it is wet. Soil that is worked when very wet, 

 except sometimes a very sandy piece, will scarcely re- 

 cover from it for a whole season. 



The purpose of the fall ploughing will be most com- 

 pletely accomplished by leaving the land in clods and 

 rough, loose ridges, for the frost to operate upon during 

 the winter. The greater the su;face thus exposed to 

 the influence of the atmosphere and changes of weather, 

 the better for the soil and the coming season's crops. 

 Moreover, late turning over the ground is an effectual 

 means of killing off the larvae of the May beetle, the 



