394 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



soil essentially requires, that what is not expended on it in 

 ploughing, for the growing crop, should be laid out in 

 manuring it. 



See IMPROVEMENT OF LANDS. 



Mr. Young, in his Six Weeks Tour, found that the ave- 

 rage depth of ploughing sandy lands, in Greatbmain, was 

 four inches ; of loamy soils, four and three-quarters ; and 

 of clayey soils, three and a half. In Ireland, they plough 

 considerably deeper than this. 



See PASTURE OF PLANTS, for the method of ascertaining 

 what depth in ploughing will afford the greatest crops of 

 the different kinds of plants. 



But it should be remembered, that the deeper you 

 plough, the more expensive is the operation; and this 

 additional expense should be taken into the estimate, in 

 determining what depth it is most profitable to plough. 

 Generally speaking, it is believed that, for most kinds of 

 crops, the depths just mentioned will be found to answer 

 as well as any other; except, that very dry gravelly soils 

 should be ploughed considerably deeper. 



The practice of Mr. Young' was, not to plough very deep- 

 ly in common ; but to give his lands deep ploughings at 

 certain intervals. This may be very proper where the soil 

 is naturally deep; where the upper stratum of vegetable 

 mould has been artificially made deep by a long coarse of 

 tillage, and manuring; or where this stratum has become 

 exhausted by severe croping, and that below is a strong 

 earth, which can be readily fertilized by the Winter-trost, 

 and Summer-sun. 



But, where the earth below is naturally poor, and inca- 

 pable of being quickly fertilized in this way no bent fit can 

 result; but, perhaps, much injury, from ploughing deeper 

 than usual. 



For turning up a new layer of earth, see TRENCH- 

 PLOUGHING. 



Mr. Deane makes mention of a piece of land which was 

 Summer-fallowed, and sown with rye. One part was 

 ploughed three times only ; the other part, eleven times : 

 The crop was all harrowed in at the same time; and the 

 result was, that the product of the part which was most 

 ploughed was about double that of the other. 



It would have been well to have mentioned, what kind of 

 soil this was; as this would have served to assist in point- 

 ing out the soils which are most benefited by frequent 

 ploughings. Generally speaking, it is believed that all the 

 more obdurate kinds of soils are most assisted by frequent 

 ploughings, and harrowings, and some of these, perhaps, 

 more than others. 



See FALLOWING OF LAND. 



