DEEP PLOUGHING. 267 



FIFTH DAY. 



The Board met at 10 o'clock, A. M., Mr. Birnie, of Spring- 

 field, in the chair. 



The annual meeting of the New England Society being held 

 at the same time, at the rooms of the Board of Trade, it was 

 voted to adjourn to 3 o'clock, P. M., to give members an oppor- 

 tunity to attend. 



The Board again met at 3 o'clock, when it was voted to 

 appoint a committee of three to appear before the Committee on 

 Agriculture .of the legislature, with reference to the bounties of 

 the agricultural societies. Messrs. Wilder, Thatcher and 

 Watkins. 



Mr. Birnie presented the following Essay, on 



TALL AND SPRING PLOUGHING. 



Such is the diversity of soil and condition of the farms of 

 Massachusetts, that it is impossible to lay down any definite 

 rules for ploughing, which is, undoubtedly, one of the most 

 important operations in the cultivation of the soil. The success 

 or failure of the crop depends very much on the time and man- 

 ner of its accomplishment. Much has been said, and at one 

 time it was quite fashionable, to recommend on all occasions 

 deep ploughing ; but in more recent discussions on this subject 

 we notice that our most successful farmers advocate the medium 

 depth of six to seven inches, under ordinary circumstances. 

 But each cultivator will be governed by the nature and condi- 

 tion of his own soil and crop. "When a greater depth than 

 seven inches is desired for drainage or for some kind of root 

 crop, we would recommend the subsoil plough, rather than turn- 

 ing the soil to a greater depth. It is the result of our observa- 

 tion that the roots of most of the crops cultivated in New 

 England will be found within five inches of the surface ; the 

 tap-roots of some penetrate to a greater depth for moisture 

 only ; the nourishment of the plant is obtained in the warm 

 surface soil. Hence the advantage of applying the manure as 

 near the surface, as it is possible to incorporate it thoroughly 

 with the soil ; manure buried eight to ten inches deep is of very 

 little benefit to the growing crop. We are aware that it is 

 the practice of some of the most successful tobacco-growers 

 of the Connecticut Valley to ploug'\ to that depth ; but the 



