1846.] European .agriculture. 255 



means to turn the attention of the farmer from improving his 

 farm by enriching it with all the means within his reach. 



On the subject of plowing, Mr. C. gives us the following 

 characteristics of correct plowing. 



" Whatever mode of ploughing the land is subjected to, you 

 should take special care that it be plowed for a winter furrow in 

 the best manner. The furrow-slice should be of the requisite 

 depth, whether of five inches on the oldest lea, or seven inches on 

 the most friable ground; and it should also be of the requisite 

 breadth of nine inches in the former case, and often in the latter; 

 but as ploughmen incline to hold a shallower furrow than it should 

 be, to make the labor easier to themselves, there is less likelihood 

 of their making a narrower furrow than it should be, a shallow 

 and broad furrow conferring both ease on themselves, and getting 

 over the ground quickly. A proper furrow-slice in land not in 2;rass, 

 or, as it is termed, in red land, should never be less than nine inch- 

 es in breadth and six inches in depth on the strongest soil, and 

 ten inches in breadth and seven inches in depth on lighter soils. 

 On grass land of strong soil, or on land of any texture that has 

 lain long in grass, nine inches of breadth, and five inches of depth, 

 is as large a furrow-slice as may possibly be obtained; but on 

 lighter soil, with comparatively young grass, a furrow-slice often 

 inches by six, and even seven, is easily turned over. At all sea- 

 sons, but especially for a winter furrow, you should endeavor to 

 establish for yourself a character for deep and correct plowing." 



"Correct plowing possesses these characteristics: The fur- 

 row-slices should be quite straight, for a plowman that cannot 

 hold a straight furrow is unworthy of his charge. The furrow- 

 slices should be quite parallel in length; and this property shows 

 that they have been turned over of a uniform thickness, for thick 

 and thin slices, lying together, present irregularly horizontal lines. 

 The furrrow-slices should be of the same height, which shows 

 that they have been cut of the same breadth; for slices of diiter- 

 ent breadth, laid together at whatever angle, present unequal ver- 

 tical lines. The furrow-slices should present to the eye a similar 

 form of crest and equal surface; because, where one furrow-slice 

 exhibits a narrower surface than it should have, it has been co- 

 vered with a broader slice than it should be; and where it displays 

 a broader surface than it should, it is so exposed by a narrower 

 slice than it should be, lying upon it. The furrow-slices should 

 have their back and face parallel; and to discover this property 

 requires rather minute examination after the land has been plow- 

 ed; but it is easily ascertained at the time of plowing. The 

 ground, on being plow^ed, should feel equally firm under the foot 

 at all places; for slices in a more upright position than they should 



