THE SUBSOIL PLOUGH. 139 



that connection. I find that the mangold wurzel does not go 

 very deep into the ground, and I do not plough over six inches 

 deep for mangolds ; but after the land is marked out, I run my 

 subsoil plough where I intend to plant my seed, and it loosens 

 the ground. I run it between the rows, and I find it loosens up 

 the soil very finely. That is the only use I make of the subsoil 

 plough. 



In relation to tlie season of ploughing, I like to plough in the 

 fall, because it helps along the spring work. 



A Member. How deep do you run the subsoil plough ? 



Mr. BiRNiE. I run it down to the bottom of the furrow — no 

 deeper. It seems to raise the ground up — soften it. I turn 

 over the ground just as early in the autumn as I can. If I can- 

 not turn it over early, I prefer to let it lie until the next season 

 and plough it as late as I can, when the grass has started. I 

 prefer to get just as mucli growth to the roots of the grass as I 

 can before it is turned over. I put oats in the ground as early 

 as possible. I raise several acres of oats every year. I plough 

 in the autumn, and then sow before the ground is dry enough 

 to plough in the spring. 



Tpiomas W. Ward, of Shrewsbury. There are but very few 

 farms in my neighborhood, that have cultivated fields upon 

 them, that do not have more or less small stones — cobble stones 

 — and they are a very great nuisance to the cultivator. Where 

 fields were ploughed as our forefathers ploughed them, they 

 became pretty much clear of these stones, so far as my observa- 

 tion has gone. That was the case on the farm where I lived, 

 and our fields were generally in a very good condition, so far as 

 these stones were concerned. I am on a farm that was culti- 

 vated by my father, and before him by his father, and it was 

 owned by his father ; I am tlie fourth generation on the farm, 

 and I well remember that in my father's lifetime he ploughed 

 when it was convenient for him to plough. If it was convenient 

 to plough in the fall, he would plough then ; if more convenient 

 in the spring, he would plough then ; but he always ploughed. 

 He didn't put his plough in very deep. He never wanted his 

 grass land ploughed more than from four to five inches deep, 

 and I do not know that he ever failed to get good crops — good 

 crops of corn, and good crops of grass following the corn. Now 

 the grass crop is a very important crop to all farmers ; it is (Jne 



