210 AGRICULTUltAL ESSAYS, 



proving the soil : for when the land is poor, and the mesma of 

 enriching it are scanty, the depth of ploughing ought to be in 

 proportion to the quantity of manure which can be obtained. 



'3. Deep ploughing is highly advantageous upon every soil, 

 excepting those where the substratum is of an ochry sand. In 

 fact such are scarcely worthy of being cultivated, unless in sit- 

 uations where much alluvial compost, or common street manure 

 can be procured. 



4. It is a general rule, never to plough so deep as to pene- 

 trate below the soil that was formerly manured and cultivated, 

 excepting upon fallow, and then only when you have plenty of 

 lime or dung to add to and improve the new soil. 



5. Many farmers recommend, wlien fallowing land, to go as 

 deep as possible with the first furrow, by which the subsequent 

 furrows will be more easily done ; and to expose the soil to the 

 winter's frost and the summer's heat. But when the land is 

 ploughed in spring, for a crop of oats, a strong soil cannot be 

 ploughed with safety above five or six inches. 



Deep ploughing is advisable on moorish cold soils, as it af- 

 fords a greater scope for the roots of plants to procure nourish- 

 -ment, admits the superabundant moisture to subside from them, 

 and prevents the summer droughts from making any injurious 

 impressions on the growing crops ; for, on such lands, shallow 

 ploughing exposes vegetation to be starved or drowned in wet 

 weather, and to be scorched or withered in dry. 



7. It is unnecessary to plough deeper, when the seed is sown, 

 than where there is a fair probability of the different kinds of 

 plants sending their roots ; and as beans, clover and turnips, the 

 only tap rooted kinds usually cultivated in this country, seldom 

 send their shoots above seven or eight inches down into the soil, 

 and the culmiferous species not so far, it is probable from these 

 circumstances, that from seven to eight inches may be deep e- 

 nouo-h for all the purposes of ordinary culture. Occasionally, 

 however, ploughing even ten inches, in theco.ura©of arotation# 

 4anag tUe fallow process, is advisable. 



