MECHANICAL DIVISION OP SOILS. 77 



the water be derived from u rivulet, a broad ditch should bo 

 made as direct as possible from its entrance to its outlet, and 

 deep enough to lead off all the water. If these are found 

 insufficient, additional ones may be made wherever required. 



CHAPTER V. 



MECHANICAL DIVISION OF SOILS. 

 SPADING. 



After selecting a proper soil, and placing it in a suita- 

 ble condition, as to manuring, draining &c. the next most 

 important consideration is the further preparation of the land 

 for the reception of the seed. In small patches of highly 

 cultivated land, spading is resorted to for breaking up and 

 pulverizing the ground more effectually than can be done 

 with the plow. This is the case with many of the market 

 gardens in the neighborhood of our large cities, and with 

 large portions of Holland, Flanders and other countries of 

 Europe. It is even contended by many highly intelligent 

 and practical farmers in Great Britain, where labor is about 

 half and land and agricultural products nearly twice the 

 the average price with u?, that spade husbandry can be 

 adopted for general tillage crops with decided advantage to 

 the farmer. However this may be abroad, it is certain it 

 cannot be practised in this country to any extent until some 

 very remote period. 



PLOWING. 



This is the most important of the mechanical operations of 

 the farm. The time, the depth and the manner of plowing 

 must depend on the crops to be raised, the fertility and char- 

 acter of the soil and other circumstances. 



PLOWING CLAY LATSDS. Whenever practicable these 

 should be plowed in the fall for planting and sowing the 

 ensuing spring. The tenacity of the soil may thus be tem- 

 porarily broken up by the winter frosts, its particles more 

 thoroughly separated, and the whole mass reduced to a finer 

 tilth than can possibly be effected in any other manner. 



