176 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



all parts of the Commonwealtli, a few years ago, they advocated 

 deep ploughing. Now, I see you are going on the other side. 

 You are inclined to swing, as Prof. Agassiz told us last night 

 the waters of the Amazon do, first to the south and then to the 

 north. I say, avoid these extr.emes. 



I have no doubt you must be governed in this matter by 

 circumstances — by the nature of the soil, and the nature of the 

 plant you are going to put into that soil. If you go to an exca- 

 vation where they arc cutting for a railroad, and find a place 

 where herdsgrass and redtop are growing upon the top of the 

 embankment, you will find that the roots of these grasses run 

 from one to six feet. I think I can show you illustrations, in 

 this town, that will satisfy you that roots will run down two or 

 three feet, under favorable circumstajices. "What would you 

 do with soil where you go down five or six feet before you come 

 to the hard pan ? What would the grass do, and what would 

 the root crops do ? 



Then the effect of drainage is to deepen the soil. The 

 elements of fertility are profuse in the subsoil. Even if it is 

 clay, it is full of the elements of fertility. I heard a gentleman 

 state yesterday that he dug a well twenty-three or twenty-four 

 feet deep, and threw out the gravel, which was spread round 

 the house, and before the month of October, that gravel was 

 completely covered with grass, without any seed, or manure, or 

 anytliing. Would that grass have grown, unless the elementg 

 of fertility were in that ground ? By no means. I really hope 

 that you will endeavor to keep the happy medium, and lead us 

 on in it, who are to read your publications. 



To illustrate this matter : A few years ago, people went mad 

 about breeds, especially about breeds of pigs ; and one man 

 was so taken up with the matter that he went and got a Suffolk 

 pig, and he said, there was nothing like it ; that he would eat 

 more and produce more profit than any other man in the 

 world. One day, ho tried him, to see how much he would eat. 

 He gave tlie pig an entire pail of milk, eight or ten quarts, and 

 he drank it all. " Then," said he, "just for the notion of it, 

 I took him up and dropped him into the pail, and the little cuss 

 didn't fill it half full." Let iis be able to rely upon what you 

 say, and then you will do good as a Board of Agriculture. 



