96 THE AMERICAN FARMER 



vided the amount of work done is the same in both cases. A long yoke or whiffletree, besides 

 being easier for the team, especially among rocks, is more necessary when using a swivel than 

 a landside plow, as a full width furrow is more readily obtained. Farmers have sometimes 

 condemed swivel plows for no other reason than because they used too short yokes and chains. 

 Farmers also make a great mistake when they neglect to use a good sharp cutter when run 

 ning plows in sod-land. The difference between plowing with or without a good cutter is 

 about the same as the difference between cutting and tearing cloth or paper. &quot;With a cutter 

 running from two to three inches deep, and well forward of the rising furrow-slice, the latter 

 is brought up and turned over with a smooth, straight edge, which folds down into the pre 

 vious furrow, leaving no ragged or unsightly edges to be hauled back by the harrow. The 

 cutter is also useful in clearing away stubble or rubbish, when plowing corn or grain fields, 

 and prevents the choking and obstructing of the work of the mould-board.&quot; 



Depth Of Plowing, With regard to the depth of plowing, there has been much dis 

 cussion, and various opinions expressed; many eminent authorities in scientific agriculture 

 advocating deep plowing, and asserting that we cannot plow too deeply ; others equally good 

 authorities have given strong arguments in favor of shallow plowing. &quot;We believe, how 

 ever, that the majority of the best agriculturists at present concur in the opinion that the 

 depth of plowing must depend upon certain conditions, which may be as various as the char 

 acter of the soils cultivated and the crops grown some soils and crops requiring much deeper 

 plowing than others; hence, each farmer must be &quot;a law unto himself&quot; in such matters, and 

 by a careful study of the nature of his soil, and by experiment, learn the depth of soil-stirring 

 best adapted to his own particular farm. As a general rule, however, the plowing should be 

 as deep as the soil, or rather, the plowing should go to the subsoil, and should sometimes 

 break up the subsoil, but should rarely bring it to the surface. A deep, mellow soil is, of 

 course, to be preferred to a shallow one that overlies a hard subsoil. 



Mr. Cheever recommends eight inches of well-pulverized, rich, mellow top-soil, as a 

 pretty good standard, as a general rule, to aim for on most farms, and quite as much as most 

 farmers have sufficient manure for, and says that in order to reach the eighth inch with a 

 common plow, he has found great benefit from the use of the steel subsoil plow, without 

 mould-board, a plow that simply loosens the subsoil without bringing it to the surface. 



To turn a flat furrow eight inches in depth, the width should be from fourteen to sixteen 

 inches. The principal material for plant-food is to be found in the surface or agricultural soil ; 

 hence, it is always safe to plow as far down as that soil extends, whether it be four, five, six, 

 or even twelve inches in depth. &quot;When the surface soil is very thin and it is desirable to 

 deepen it, it will be well to plow an inch or so deeper each year into the subsoil, mingling it 

 with the surface-soil gradually in this way, together with the application of manure, until the 

 soil attains the required depth, As a general rule, it will not be safe to deepen it much more 

 than this degree each year, as the surface-soil will be liable to become deteriorated by the mix- 

 &quot;ture of a great amount of the raw subsoil, since time will be required for it to become suited 

 to plant growth. Many fields have been rendered sterile by too rapid deepening of the soil 

 in this manner, and required years of culture to recover from the effects. The reason for this 

 is very evident: suppose we have a surface-soil of five inches, rich and mellow, overlying a 

 subsoil of coarse gravel or hard clay; now, if we attempt to plow to the depth of eight or nine 

 inches, and throw up this coarse gravel, or compact, lifeless clay that forms the subsoil, we 

 bury the principal portion of the soil that can produce vegetable growth deep in the earth, 

 away from the reach of the seed, or young and tender plants, and have upon the surface a 

 coarse soil unsuited to plant-growth, and in which the plants would starve and die for lack of 

 proper food; and it would probably require several years time for the action of the air, rains, 

 dews, frost, and the various agencies of nature that aid in the changes and decomposition 



