26 W A L L ' S M A N U A L 



oxygen of the air. How necessary then that the' 

 soil should be well plowed and well pulverized. 



Three points must be kept distinctly in view in re- 

 ducing soils to their proper mechanical condition, viz ; 

 1st. They must be well pulverized, so as to allow the 

 roots of plants to spread and grow freely in every direc- 

 tion. 2d. They must permit a free circulation of air.- 

 3d. The water which falls upon the surface must be 

 readily absorbed, and have at the same time such free 

 circulation that any surplus moisture will pass off with- 

 out becoming stagnant., and loithout washing away the 

 surface soil. To accomplish these objects several 

 methods may be pursued, one or all of w r hich may be 

 employed, as the condition of the land, or other cir- 

 cumstances, may require. We will only describe the 

 methods best adapted to the farming operations in 

 our own "country. The most common and most eco- 

 nomical means of giving a soil its proper mechanical 

 condition, is plowing. The history of the world shows 

 that nations have prospered just in proportion to the 1 

 skillful use they have made of the plow . If two men, 

 with equal force and capital, are placed on contiguous' 

 farms of equal size and fertility, they will prosper 

 very much as they plow. The one who scratches the 

 surface to the depth of two or three inches, will soon: 

 find both his farm and himself growing poor, while 

 the one who breaks his land up to the depth of ten 

 or twelve inches, win soon find it necessary to "pull 

 down his barns and' build greater.' 7 



Deep plowing is absolutely necessary on almost ev- 

 ery farm, in order to obtain the highest profit from 

 the soil. The reasons for this can be rendered plain 

 enough for any mind to understand in a few sen- 



