138 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



the nutritive properties of land of a deep staple, 

 anJ that which is more shallow, aliliou^jh the 

 qualily ol" both, when tried in equal quantities, 

 may be the same.* When deep, it also possesses 

 the grf^at advanta<Te ol" sullerint^ less eiiher by ex- 

 treme heat or by wet, than when thin ; and the 

 corn being supported by a greater depth ol root, 

 which probably atlbrds proportionate stren<ith to 

 the lower pait ol'the stem, maintains its Ireshness 

 with greater vitior in limes ordroui!lit, and is less 

 euliject to be laid by storn>s oi" wind or rain. It is 

 almost unnecessary to add, that depth of soil is 

 equally advantageous to every crop, the roots of 

 which go deeper into the soil than those of corn, 

 though its progressive increase in value is not so 

 great as that which lies nearer to the surface, 



III order to inaiutain the properties of a deep 

 soil in a perfect state, it is, however, expedient to 

 plough it from time to lime to the (till depth of the 

 vegetative stratum ; so that, being completely 

 worked by li-equent turnings, it may be freely 

 exposed to the influence of the atmosphere, ff 

 th>it be not done, or only superficially performed, 

 the ground will, bj' slow degrees, become gradually 

 impoverished ; for, besides being deprived of the 

 benefit of exposure to the air, a crust olharu and 

 almost impenetrable matter will, in some soils, be 

 formed immediately below thai portion upon which 

 tlie plough was usually made lo act, thus consti- 

 tuting a barrier between the upper surface and the 

 subsoil, which is well known to farmers under the 

 appellation of the moor-bond, or pan. It is not, 

 however, necessary to repeat the operation, even 

 on heavy land, more than, perhaps, once in six or 

 eeven years, especially if the intermediate plough 

 ings under the common course of cultivation be 

 made at various depths ; for nothing tends more 

 to the formation ofthe pan than the constant repe- 

 tition of the process at the same depth. Thus it 

 will not escape observation, that one great advan- 

 tage of the alternate system of husbandry arises 

 from the distinct nature of the different roots which 

 are cultivated, and the consequent necessity of 

 ploughing at various depths, so as to afibrd them 

 room to seek for sustenance. On tenacious clays, 

 which, being confined to the growth of grain, are 

 usually ploughed to the same depth, it also forms 

 a strong reason for the adoption of the summer 

 fallow. 



The maintenance of the properties of the soil 

 in its original state is, however, a very different 

 mode of procedure I 'rom that required by an endea- 



* Von Thaer calculates this difference in proportion- 

 ate degrees in land which contains a vegetative stratum 

 of soil of four, six, eight, and twelve inches in depth ; 

 provided, of course, that it be all of equal quality. If, 

 therefore, each seed were to prcxiuce a plant, it would 

 follow that ground which contains eight inches depth 

 of fertile mould, might be sown with double the quan- 

 tity of that which consists of onlj' four inches. He, 

 however, admits that this principle cannot be carried to 

 that extent, because the action ofthe atmosphere must 

 ever afford such a superiority to the surface, that a 

 cubic loot of mould, if divided into two square feet, will 

 always produce a greater number of plants than if the 

 seed were sown iqion one foot superficial ; but he as- 

 sumes the value of the land to be increased in the 

 proportion of 8 per cent, for every inch of mould be- 

 yond the depth of six to ten inches, and to be diminished 

 in the same proportion, from six to three inches in 

 soils of a thinner staple. — Principcs Jiaisonnh d'jlgri- 

 culture, vol. iii., p. 138. s. 735. 



vor \o restore it to perfection ; for there is much 

 land of a deep and naturally mellow staple, the 

 lower strata of which have been rendered sterile by 

 shallow i)loughing, and can only be pro<rressively 

 renovated by gradual degrees ; or, according to the 

 practice of those farmers who " like to go deep 

 enough to chip up the dead soil, now and then, and 

 show it a little upon the surlace after all is fir>- 

 ished."* Many instances have, indeed, been re- 

 corded in which the subsoil, when brought to the 

 surface and exposed for some lime, has proved 

 extrem.ely \'c\\\\v ; but in all those cases, the earlhj 

 when chemically analyzed, has lieen found to 

 contain a considerable portion of carbon, and un- 

 less afterwards sustained by proportioi,ate quan- 

 tities of manure, its good qualities have been 

 speedily exhausted. It cannot, therefore, be deem- 

 ed generally expedient to bring up a greater quan- 

 tity than at the most two inches ofthe virgin earthy 

 even supposinir it to be naturally ofthe best aver- 

 age quality. The operation should be performed 

 before the winter, and the soil should be incorpor- 

 ated by the means of a summer liillow ; observing 

 however, that its main objecl being to expose this 

 fresh substance to the atmosphere, it should be lelt 

 as lonrr as possible on the surfi\ce. The manure 

 should be also applied at the same time, and, in- 

 stead of being mixed up with the soil, should be 

 spread uniformly over this layer of new earth, 

 which thus imbibes its juices during the whole of 

 the wet season, and, notwithstanding all the ob- 

 jections which have been urged against the eva- 

 poration of dunct never fails to produce a striking 

 effect on its amelioration. In this manner, Mr. 

 Thaer assures us that he has successively, during 

 a series of years, effected the gradual and complete 

 mixture of different layers of soil in one season ; 

 that he has thereby not only aufrmented the vege- 

 tative stratum of his soil, but has experienced a 

 very sensible improvement in his crops ; and that, 

 after the close of a rotation, he has repeated the 

 experiment with equal success. To which we may 

 add, that many farmers who have followed the 

 same plan, have^niform'y found it attended with 

 similar results ; though others, who have no) taken 

 the precaution of ffoing leisurely to work, or who 

 have not been sufficiently aware of the nature of 

 the subsoil, have, in some instances, done consi- 

 derable injury to their land. J 



There are, no doubt, manyc/ee/) soils naturally 

 of an equal quality throughout, but which, con- 

 sisting of tenacious clay, or till,\\ of various kinds, 

 would, if brought up lo the surface, impoverish the 



* Survey o( Essex, vol. i., p. 198. 



fOn the subject of evaporation, see vol. i., chap, x., 

 pp. 239 and 248. If the land lies upon such a slope 

 as may cause the dung to be swept off by the rains, 

 then it should, however, be buried by a very slight 

 ploughing. 



X See the Reports of Essex, vol. i., p. 197 ; Bedford 

 p. 276; Bucks, p. 12S ; Stevenson's Surrey, pp. 148 

 and 170; Malcolm's Surrey, vol. i., p. 2(58; Kent's 

 Norfolk, p. G7; Gen. Rep. of Scotland, vol.i., pp. 347 

 and 419; and Loch's Improvements on the estates of 

 the Marquis of Stafford. 



II In Scotland, "/tZZ" is understood to imply, as a 

 subsoil, a mixture of clay with sand and gravel, devoid 

 of vegetable matter, and impervious to water. In Ireland, 

 this description of soil is called "Lackleagh," and the pan 

 which it forms is there broken up with a plough of 

 immense weight and strength, called a "miner," which 



