180 



On Suhsoiling. — Imj^ortant Facts to Farmers. 



Vol. X. 



For ihe Farmers' Cabinet. 



On Subsoiliiig. 



Mr. Editor, — I notice an article in your 

 No. for December, page 153, inquiring for 

 information on the subject of subsoiling. 

 After directing your correspondent to tlic 

 experience of one of tiie most successful 

 and enlightened cultivators of this or any 

 other country — iMr. Paxton, of Catawissa, 

 Pa., I would observe, in my opinion, it is 

 after the second operation that the benefits 

 of subsoiling are often to be expected; hav- 

 ino- more than once had occasion to remark, 

 that no advantage has accrued from a first 

 and single stirring, even when the nature of 

 the subsoil seemed much to require it; owing, 

 I have reason to believe, to a portion of the 

 richness of the surface soil having pene- 

 trated the loosened subsoil, which thus be- 

 comes fructified at its expense for a season; 

 but I am prepared to believe, that this evil 

 will remedy itself if the operation be re- 

 peated, nor should I hesitate to recommend 

 that it be followed as often as opportunity 

 serves. Yet I do not advocate subsoiling 

 merely on the plea of adding depth to the 

 soil ; for being one of those who do not con- 

 sider it necessary or essential to the growth 

 of the plant, that it have a foot or more in 

 depth of rich soil to luxuriate in, conceiving 

 that the roots of all vegetables are divided 

 into those, whose office it is to procure food 

 from the surface soil, and those, whose pro- 

 vince it is to draw water from beneath, I 

 would not recommend even very deep sub- 

 soiling, except it be under peculiar circum- 

 stances, and with the view of its operating 

 mechanically, rather than chemically, on the 

 crop; although I know it has been proposed 

 to drain the soil of superfluous moisture by 

 these means, which would, however, be 

 found quite ineffectual for the purpose. In 

 England, where only the system is scien- 

 tifically pursued, it is not found to succeed, 

 if the land stands in need of artificial drain- 

 ing. 



Not many montlis since, I saw turned up 

 a piece of clover lay, vesting on a very hard 

 bed of gravel that had been carefully sub- 

 soiled three years ago, when I found the 

 subsoil as hard as it had been before the ope- 

 ration, and could not but think that it re- 

 quired another stirring as much as at first, 

 when, I have no doubt, very beneficial re- 

 sults would have followed, but the owner 

 " fainted," and has, therefore, no reason to 

 expect to "reap." 



To a person who, like myself, believes in 

 the system of top-dressing, the difficulties 

 en that subject, suggested by your corres- 

 pondent, are easily obviated. I have no idea 



that the stench arising from a slaughter- 

 house, is food appropriate for the immediate 

 sustenance of plants, any more than I be- 

 lieve it to be lost on evaporation. I consi- 

 der it, wending its way into the atmosphere 

 to form new combinations — did your corres- 

 pondent never observe how very diflerent is 

 the effluvia arising from a hot-bed, before 

 and after the escape of the noxious gases, 

 which would have been instant destruction 

 to vegetable lifel it has then the smell of 

 mushrooms, and far enough removed from 

 that of carrion. It is an egregious error to 

 consider plants as gross feeders. 



The Subsoil plough used at the late Phila- 

 delphia Exhibition, was of small size, in- 

 tended to follow in'a narrow furrow. If the 

 wing of a Subsoil plough' were to be made 

 as wide as a large furrow, it could not be 

 worked with less than four or six horses; 

 but to obviate the objection pointed out by 

 your correspondent, it is only to set the 

 plough deeper, and the subsoil will then be 

 broken as wide as the furrow; the degree of 

 pulverization being in proportion to the 

 depth penetrated. The plough abovemen- 

 tioned is large enough for two horses, and 

 in the hands of a careful and practical man, 

 will be found quite equal to the task of 

 opening any subsoil through which a pair of 

 horses are able to force it. 



May I be permitted respectfully to inquire, 

 how it has been ascertained, that the real 

 Jersey parsnip is not well adapted to this 

 country] Is it because it is long, coarse 

 and stringy, in its nature? To a resident 

 of that island this will be news indeed ! But 

 the seed has never, to my knowledge, been 

 for sale in this country — at least, afler re- 

 peated inquiry I have not been able to find 

 it ; and it may be well, therefore, to learn 

 that Mr. Coates has the hollow-crowned va- 

 riety, which is, however, as different as it 

 well can be, from Low's favourite, of which 

 Col. Le Couteur has given full accounts, 

 both as to its mode of culture and enormous 

 product after good tillage. C. R. 



Montgomery co., Pa. 



Important Facts for Farmers. 



A Question of Bread. — Men have been 

 long investigating truths; and many import- 

 ant truths, as principles, are developed, with- 

 out being connected with practical purposes, 

 or bringing out facts by application. 



Wheat is known to be the most nutritious 

 of all grains, because it contains a larger 

 quantity oT gluten. But I do not know that 

 it is generally understood, except by scien- 

 tific agriculturists, that this quantify of glu- 

 ten may be varied both by climate and the 



