224 



Sowing TVJieat and Timothy. 



Vol. X. 



look immediately after ploughing, the ques- 

 tion cannot be fully tested till the gathering 

 of the crop. 



In my former remarks, I intended no cen- 

 sure on the Moore plough particularly, nor 

 on the committee. It no doubt is an excel- 

 lent plough of its kind, and any committee 

 would probably make the same decision, if 

 they had never used the Prouty plough on 

 their own farms. S. M. Stapler says, if they 

 were unacquainted with the "peculiar me- 

 rits" of the Prouty plough, so they also were 

 with those of the Moore plough, except the 

 work before them. Granted. But then I 

 have contended that these " peculiar merits" 

 are to be seen in their effects afterwards, and 

 not at first sight of the work. 



Any farmer who has used the Prouty 

 plough and any other plough on his farm for 

 a single season, will see the difference in the 

 more complete pulverization, in the freedom 

 from clods, and facility for thorough stirring, 

 and harrowing; and in the same degree as 

 these are advantageous in the cultivation ot 

 the ground, and growth of crops, particularly 

 in dry seasons, will he acknowledge the su- 

 periority of the former. Such persons, and 

 such only, are competent to judge of its me- 

 rits. The Prouty plough claims a preference 

 altogether on different grounds from any 

 other plough ; and if the contest at ploughing 

 matches is, which will make the "smoothest 

 work," she had better never enter for a pre- 

 mium. The case is the same as if two cows 

 were offered for premium at an exhibition, 

 the one valued for milking properties, and 

 the other for feeding. The committee might 

 give the latter the premium, but it would 

 not detract in the least from the merits of 

 the other. Her owner might say, I offered 

 m}'' cow as a milker; she has no pretensions 

 v.diatever for feeding. So with our plough. 

 It is not pretended at all that she will make 

 "smootli work," turn over an unbroken fur- 

 row, and present to the action of the sun and 

 air a glazed and hardened surface ; and not- 

 withstanding C. P. Holcomb has " come 

 over," and ordered several Moore ploughs, 

 it will hereafter be generally acknowledged, 

 that unlike "Rohan potatoes, sugar beets, 

 and Button corn," the Prouty plough has 

 been written under instead of above its true 

 merits. It will be found that it will not only 

 breed corn, but potatoes, ivheat, rye, oats, 

 buckwheat, clover, and every other crop that 

 depends for vigour and productiveness on 

 good tilth and scientific cultivation. 



As regards Paschall Morris' great crop of 

 corn, there is no doubt, as he asserted, that 

 much of the merit is attributable to this 

 plough, because it was a very dry season, 

 and the benefits of complete pulverization 



were more perceptible. The earth being ia 

 a state of minute division, presented more 

 points of attraction to the atmosphere, in- 

 creased its absorption of moisture and nutri- 

 tive gases, and caused it to suffer less from 

 drought. Any one may observe the increased 

 deposit of dew in a finely pulverized and 

 freshly worked surface. 



Those on the Brandywine hills, who are 

 used to ploughing up old green grass sods, 

 will not agree with Friend Stapler, that 

 weeds are not apt to grow on them. My 

 experience is, that on such sods they are apt 

 to grow with great rankness and luxuriance. 

 I have seen them with stalks as large as 

 some of the corn, and nearlj' as high. I 

 should say they were luore likely to grow 

 on a twenty year old sod, freshly ploughed 

 up, than on a younger sod, for this reason, 

 that being so firm and compact, and impene- 

 trable to the air from lying so long, the seeds 

 of weeds beneath are unable to vegetate and 

 force their way through. There they lie till 

 turned up by the plough, uhen they take a 

 start, and are kept down or killed by con- 

 stant working. 



As regards deep ploughing, I consider it 

 the basis of all good farming. He is fortu- 

 nate who has a deep soil ; and he who has 

 not, if he is the ov.ner of the land, should 

 ?nake it so with all expedition ; and this can 

 only be done by deep ploughing. A renter 

 might be excused for a shallow furrow, but 

 the proprietor never. We do not sufficiently 

 estimate the value of atmospheric influences, 

 and a sterile subsoil brought to the surface, 

 will be meliorated and improved much more 

 than is generally believed. JethroTull used 

 to say, the difference in soils was only owing 

 to the minute division brought about by re- 

 peated stirring, and exposing to the air; or 

 at least that a bad soil might be made a good 

 one^ in this way, without manure. 



Observer. 



Chester Co., Pa , 2d mo. 3, 1846. 



Sowing Wheat and Timothy. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet: — 



My experience in farming is limited, and 

 as my practice differs in some respects from 

 timt which my neighbours consider wise, I 

 thought I would ask counsel through the 

 Cabinet. 



In the spring of 1843, 1 sowed clover with 

 my oats. My crop of oats was good. In the 

 summer of 1844, I was enabled to pasture 

 my cows from the clover : at the proper time 

 I ploughed down the clover sod; manured 

 the same from the barn-yard, and sowed 

 wheat and timothy. In 1845, I harvested 

 30 bushels of wheat to an acre : in neither 



