456 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



which have compressed it. An old writer and 

 a close observer says : — 



"However well you may manure your land, 

 however thoroughly you may drain it, you 

 will never obtain the crops it is capable of 

 yielding, unless you pulverize it. Always 

 bear in mind that the impalpable powder is the 

 active part of soil, and that no other portion 

 has any direct influence upon vegetation, and 

 you will then, at all times, be buffieiently im- 

 pressed with the necessity cf thorough plough- 

 ing, harrowing, &c. ; indeed, you may rest as- 

 sured, that, except upon some few very light 

 sands, you cannot pulverize the soil too much." 



The question then naturally arises, what is 

 the soil.'' Is it the mass of earth beneath our 

 feet, or only some port ion of it, on or near the 

 suiface .'' We speak of the soil, and of the sub- 

 soil, and then of the sand, gravel or clay 

 which underlies them, and nobody mistakes 

 our meaning. This soil varies in thickness in 

 different localities, and may be found f.om one 

 inch in d.pth to that of several feet. It is 

 rock highly disintegrated, in which is mingled 

 in greater or less degree, vegetable matter. 

 We plough this, as bt fore stated, to reduce its 

 particles to dust if one can, so that wfhen 

 moistened their nutritive properties may be 

 available by the roots of plants. 



If we plough below the dark-colored por- 

 tion of earth which we call soil, we undoubt- 

 edly bring valuable properties to the surface, 

 but they are not in a commingled condition 

 and state of fineness to bring a crop when 

 planted. What follows? Whv that this new 

 earth must be brought icp gradually to the ac- 

 tion of the sun, air and lains, when it will, in 

 process of time, become dark-colored, and 

 covered with plants of one kind or another. 

 In one spot with thit-tles, perhaps ; in another 

 with clover ; in a third with pig weeds, and in a 

 fourth with some of the valuable grasses; and 

 all thif? without the application of manure by 

 the hand of man. The same result may be 

 secured more rapidly, by ploughing an inch or 

 more deeper at each successive ploughing, a'id- 

 ing manure freely and working the whole to- 

 gether by aficr-ploughings. 



But what would be the result, if several 

 inches of the new earth were brought up at 

 once and mingled with the black soil ? In ev- 

 ery instance that has come under our observa- 

 tion, it has been the failure of the crop, un- 



less an unusual amount of manure' was em- 

 ployed, or the soil worked over many more 

 times than is usual. 



It is a common practice with progressive 

 farmers to deepen the soil by successive 

 ploughings, and not by turning up several 

 inches of fresh earth at once. There are oc- 

 casional exceptions to the rule, we believe, and 

 on a garden soil that is frequently stirred 

 through the summer so as to be well mois- 

 tened, aired and warmed, a good crop may 

 follow. The atmosphere is the great store- 

 house of fertilizing properties. Let the layers 

 of the earth come in contact with it, and it 

 will soon be covered with plants ; plough these 

 under repeatedly and a soil is prepared, which 

 ill bring any of our common crops. Do not 

 fail to give your results. 



HOUBS OF LABOK ON THE FABM. 



J. W. Colburn, Esq., of Springfiell, Vt., 

 has made an estimate of the hours that hired 

 men work on a farm during the season of eight 

 or nine months, and during the year, which 

 shows that farm laborers do not average so 

 many hours of work a day as are required by 

 manufacturers and mechanics. Judge Col- 

 burn's experience in farming give his conclu- 

 sions much weight, though they may be con- 

 trary to the general idea upon this subject, 

 lie commenced his first engagement as a farm 

 laborer thr e days before he was ten years of 

 age, — working "for his victuals and clothes." 

 He continued as a /arm laborer until twenty- 

 five years old, when he took some land on 

 shares, but was not a land owner till 35 years 

 of age. During the last thirty years he has 

 < mployed more or less men, both by the sea- 

 son and the j ear. In a letter to the New 

 York Farmers' Club he makes the following 

 statement : — 



Many farmers hire their help for seven or ci^ht 

 mnnttis, trim 1st Anril to 1st Novemiier or L)e- 

 ceniOtr. Tliere aretbreeof fh<se inontti> that-fiU 

 sHcrt in the ijomsof labor of ihe other tive months. 

 No*, let us take the hve months of ihu lo igest 

 days. A man g*ts up in the morningafier the sua 

 ri^es — it is t onsidereil out of gooil rastc to gtt up 

 hetore the sun; he dots a few chores and waits 

 around the housr un il l)reaktast isread- ,6 A. M.; 

 6 :3i» he will l)e in the tield ready lor a day's woik ; 

 at l2 1)1' is called to dinner, and it is 1 o'elo 'k, P. 

 M., hefore he is in the held again : and at 5 he is 

 cnlhd to his supp r, and i> back to hi-; woik again 

 at 6:30; quits work at 7 P. M. All lold, 11 hours. 

 In eomiiion seasons iht re is not less, c .uming 

 showers, than one rainy day in a week ; some sea- 

 sons considerably more, and it is seldom that a 

 farmer can furnish work in rainy weather for more 



