282 WHAT I KNOW OF FARMING. 



of plowing land twelve inches deep at $5 pe%acre ; 

 and I am confident that it does not cost one cent less. 



Nor is cost the only discouragement. There is not 

 half so much nor so thorough plowing among us, 

 especially in the Fall, as there should be. The soil 

 is, for a good part of the time, too dry or too wet ; 

 the weather is inclement, or the ground is frozen : 

 so the plow must stand still. At length, the signs 

 are auspicious ; the ground is in just the right con- 

 dition ; and we would gladly plow ten, twenty, fifty 

 acres during the brief period wherein it remains so ; 

 but this is impossible. Others want to improve the 

 opportunity as well as we ; extra teams are rarely to 

 be had at any price ; and our own slow-moving oxen 

 refuse to be hurried. Standing half a mile off, you 

 cwn see them move, if your eye-sight is keen, and you 

 have some stationary object interposed whereby to 

 take an observation ; but it is as much as ever. If 

 your soil is such that you can use horses, you get on, 

 of course, much faster; but all that you gain in 

 breadth you are apt to lose in depth. There may be 

 spans that will take the plow right along though 

 you sink it to the beam ; but they are sure to be 

 slow travelers. I never knew a span that would 

 plow an acre per day as I think it should be plowed ; 

 though, if your. only object be to get over as much 

 ground as possible, you may afflict and titillate two 

 acres, or as much more as you please. 



Now, I have before me a letter to The Times 

 (London) by Mr. William Smith, of Woolston, Bucks, 



