farmers' miscellany. 105 



PLOUGING. 



Next to the free manuring of the soil, nothing is of more im- 



jortance in agriculture than ploughing. Indeed, it maybe said to 



cimk before manures, inasmuch as their application can be of little 



crvice, unless the ground is prepared to receive them, by means 



it' the plough. It is not our intention here to say anything of the 



mechanical part of this process, but simply to set forth some of 



the principles upon which its use depends. 



It pulverizes the soil. Every one knows the benefits arising 

 from this process. A free access is given to the air, and the gases 

 which are always floating in it. The carbonic acid and ammonia 

 which we have often spoken of as the essential food of plants, cir- 

 culate through all the soil, and are equally distributed to the roots 

 of plants. These, unobstructed, can also extend themselves farther 

 in all directions, and find an abundant supply of nutriment. 



The access of the air also assists in the decay of any vegetable 

 or animal matter which the soil may contain. This, whilst the air 

 is excluded, lies inactive, or is converted into substances which are 

 injurious. But by the action of the oxygen of the air, a thorough 

 decomposition takes place, and the elements of the plants are re- 

 stored to the soil to become the food of a new race. Besides this, 

 there are certain compounds of the metals with oxygen ; which in 

 one form, are active poisons to all vegetable life. This is where 

 they are united with only one portion of the oxygen, but when 

 they are combined with more, the effect is different. Now, when 

 the admission of air is not free, the decaying substances in the soil 

 take away the oxygen from these higher forms of combination and 

 leave one which is injurious. Some of the salts of the metals are 

 produced in the same way, which destroy vegetation. 



The action of the air upon the inorganic parts of the soil, is not 

 less worthy of notice. All soils contain portions of rocks, in an 

 undecomposed state, which consist of elements of great fertility. 

 By ploughing, these are turned up to the air and thus exposed to 

 decay more or less rapidly ; restoring the very elements which may 

 have been exhausted by previous cropping. 



The germination of seeds is aided by pulverizing the soil. For 



VOL. I. — NO. 1. O 



