GENERAL RULES FOR PLOUGHING. 453 



was difficult to get a miller to look at a sample. Let this be 

 borne in mind, that this land then had had no manure for years, 

 was run out, and could only have been meliorated by the admis 

 sion of air and moisture, from deep ploughing. This year the 

 wheat on this land has looked most promising ; the ears large 

 and heavy, the straw long, and I expect the produce will be 

 from 34 to 36 bushels per acre. My Swedish turnips on this 

 land this year are very good ; my pudding and sugar-loaf turnips 

 failing in many parts, sharing the fate of those of my neighbors, 

 having been greatly injured by the torrents of rain which fell 

 after they had shown themselves above the ground. Turnips 

 must have a deep and well-pulverized soil, in order to enable 

 them to swell, and the tap-roots to penetrate in search of food. 

 The tap-root of a Swedish turnip has been known to penetrate 

 39 inches into the ground. I will add only two or three gen 

 eral observations. 



&quot; 1st. The work done by the plough far exceeds trenching 

 with the spade, as the plough only breaks and loosens the land all 

 around, without turning the subsoil to the top, which in some 

 cases (where the subsoil is bad) would be injurious to the early 

 and tender plants ; and if the subsoil is good, it would be ren 

 dered more fit for vegetation after the air and moisture had been 

 permitted to enter. The ploughing is also far preferable to 

 trenching by the spade, even for planting, (i. e. trees.) as it may 

 be done at one fourth the expense. 



&quot;2dly. It were very preferable, if possible, to work the horses 

 abreast, pair and pair ; but, in using this plough, the horses must 

 work in a line, for, if abreast, the horse on the land ploughed 

 would soon be fatigued, by sinking up to his hocks ; and, to 

 render the draught more easy, the second horse from the plough 

 should not be fastened to the chains of the horse next the 

 plough ; but the chains of the second horse should be made 

 long enough to be hooked about two feet behind the back-band 

 of the chains of the horse next the plough, so that the second 

 horse will draw at an angle of about 33 degrees ; otherwise, 

 were the chains of the second horse hooked in front of the back- 

 chain, he would pull the whole weight of his draught, together 

 with that of the horses preceding him, on the back of the horse 

 next the plough ; and the strength of the horse would be lost in 



