172 BOARD OF xiGRICULTURE. 



These ploughs are used in almost all parts of southern Berk- 

 shire, and I think, where they are used, they are exceedingly 

 well liked. The subsoil, as I have said, is not lifted to the sur- 

 face the first year, but stirred, giving an opportunity for the 

 rains to penetrate it — and of course the heat of the sun will 

 penetrate it during the summer more than it would if not 

 stirred — and it is lifted in the subsequent ploughings. 



Mr. BiRNiE. You spoke of ditching. How thoroughly was 

 it ditched ? 



Mr. Thatcher. I put in ditches within two rods of each 

 other, in which I put under-drains. Over the widest part of 

 that piece, I think I put in eight drains. The piece was twenty- 

 six rods wide. On one side, I did not put any drains ; it was 

 rather dry land. I did not use tiles ; I used the stone on the 

 piece, covered with straw, and then sod. 



I should agree with Mr. Johnson exactly, that in turning up 

 that subsoil to the depth of ten inches, I should not expect to 

 get a crop the first year. My plan of ploughing for corn is to 

 turn in the manure in the fall to the depth of six inches ; and I 

 always mean to use something to start the corn in tlie hill the 

 first part of the season. I had a very good crop of corn this 

 last season. I ploughed in a good quantity of manure, and 

 took a great tablespoonful of superphosphate of lime tq the hill. 

 I start it with this in the spring, and the roots then descend and 

 get tlie benefit of this manure which I ploughed in in the fall. 

 I am very much in favor of this subsoil attachment, which we 

 are using very extensively in that part of the State. I should 

 use it on clay lands, certainly. I am in favor of deep soil. 

 The deeper soil I can get the better my crops are. If I am 

 going to raise carrots I want a good depth of soil, where they 

 can run down without bringing up against any rocky surface. 



Mr. Porter. I can readily coincide with the remarks just 

 made by Mr. Thatcher in regard to ploughing deep, I am a 

 very strong advocate of deep ploughing ; not less than eight 

 inches — from that to ten. I have used the same attachment to 

 which he refers for the purpose of loosening the subsoil, having 

 an attachment that will go down as deep as twelve inches. Our 

 soil is not very clayey. It is a sandy, clayey loam, some parts 

 of it. The Connecticut River soil is not like the soil of the 

 mountain towns. Our mode of ploughing now is very different 



