402 THE FARMER'S AND 



is true, that it requires a. very considerable more force to 

 brpak deep than it does to break shallow ; perhaps more 

 than would be at first imagined ; but then vou are com- 

 pensated for that, by the greater ease and facility with 

 which the land is ploughed the second time ; because if 

 the land is broken shallow, it is necessary to go below the 

 first breaking, when you cross-plough or split the furrows, 

 (which is perhaps the better practice,) and hence you are 

 compelled to cut off all of the old roots again, while they 

 are yet sufficiently strong to afford considerable resist- 

 ance. 



If no crop is intended to be grown the .first year upon 

 the piece broken, the team should not be started till about 

 the first of June ; nor if practicable should it be continued 

 longer than about six weeks. And I believe it is univer- 

 sally admitted, that land broken in June decays much 

 faster, and a better crop may be observed, even for several 

 years, than on land broken much earlier or later. The 

 two principal reasons for this are, that the grass is at this 

 time growing with full vigor, and the land is then as dry 

 as at any other season of the year. It must be borne in 

 mind, however, that these observations will only apply to 

 our ordinary seasons ; for it sometimes happens that June 

 is a very wet month, as in 183:3, when, I am informed that 

 land broken in August, which was a dry month, proved 

 better than that broken in June. 



COST OF A PRAIRIE FARM. 



The first cost of the land is $1,25 an acre. The first 

 ploughing we generally count as cost, though erroneously. 

 This is worth $1,50 an acre ; or to be better understood, 

 I will say differently. Prairie land is abundant at gov- 

 ernment price ; but timber is mostly in second hands and 

 is held higher. 



