No. 6. 



Account of an Experiment in Deep Ploughing. 



171 



fare, appropriations bearing some proportion 

 to the amount which the products of agri- 

 culture bear to the aggregate wealth of the 

 nation, and to the dec'ree of dependence of 

 the Government itself, and all classes under 

 it, on that class for employment, protection, 

 safety, and support. 



Account of au Experiment iu Deep 

 rioughiug. 



BY jnaN JAFFRAY, DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN. 



The experiment was made upon a small 

 field, which is sixty-five feet above the level 

 of the tta. The soil is sandy, resting upon 

 a subsou of sand and gravel of great depth, 

 and so thoroughly drained by the declivity 

 of the surrounding lands, the want of moist- 

 ure is its natural eflect. There is but little 

 difference between the soil and the stratum 

 on which it rests beyond what culture and 

 manure have made ; but, from sinking of 

 gravel, treading of horses, and pres=^ure of 

 the plough, year after year, and age after 

 age, the subsoil had become crusted, hard, 

 and beaten, as a road. In short, from shal- 

 low ploughing, tliere was but little of culti- 

 vated earth ; and, as on all such soils in dry 

 seasons, the crop was scorched and scanty. 

 With a view to render this field fruitful in 

 any season, it was subsoiled with the Dean- 

 ston plough, eighteen inches deep, and sown 

 with wheat for crop in 1S37. The great 

 vigor and luxuriance of the crop attracted 

 general notice; and it must have yielded an 

 extraordinary increase, if it had not been 

 lodged by wind and rain shortly after the 

 ear appeared. Therefore it gave only thirty- 

 eight bushels of grain to the acre, but three 

 tons of straw, which proved its great strength. 

 To this crop, one of potatoes and two of 

 wheat succeeded ; but it is the culture of 

 this field for crop in 1S41, and the result, 

 which chiefly constitute this report. 



It was all equally dressed with seaware; 

 and four acres of the same quality and de- 

 scription were measured and staked off. 

 Two of these acres were ploughed twelve 

 inches deep, with two horses, and two of 

 them eighteen inches deep, with four horses. 

 These two portions in all other respects, 

 were cultivated and managed exactly alike. 

 They were planted with potatoes of the 

 Don species in the last week of April, eight 

 inches deep, twelve inches asunder, and in 

 drills thirty inches wide, running at right- 

 angles to the furrows of the experimental 

 ploughing. The potatoes were planted deeper 

 than usual, therefore the shoots were longer 

 in coming through the ground; but when 

 they did appear, it was with great strength 

 and regularity. They expanded their broad 



deep-green leaves, and grew vigorously in 

 the dry sandy soil, in a very severe and long 

 continued drought. It was soon evident 

 that tlie deepest ploughed portion had the 

 advantage. The stems and branches of its 

 plants were stronger, and they first covered 

 the ground. 



The potatoes were lifted in the last week 

 of October, when it was found that the land 

 ploughed twelve inches deep produced fifty- 

 seven bolls per acre, and the land ploughed 

 eighteen inches deep produced sixty-nine 

 bolls per acre, being a difference of twelve 

 bolls per imperial acre, of four cwt. to the 

 boll. 



The potatoes from the deep tillage were 

 larger, more of one size, had fewer small 

 ones, and not so many of a green colour as 

 those from the other division. 



'i'iie quantity on the deep tillage is eighty- 

 seven bolls per Scots acre, which is a good 

 crop for any year; and it will readily be 

 granted that it is far above the average of 

 the district this year, many fields not pro- 

 ducing half a crop. But though this is a 

 greater crop for the season, j^ must have 

 been still greater if the field had been less 

 exposed, as it has no shelter; and three days 

 of very violent wind in the first week of 

 August broke down the plants, which, from 

 their great luxuriance, were then very ten- 

 der, and checked their growth. 



The practical conclusions to be drawn 

 from this experiment are — 



First, that deep ploughing increases the 

 produce. 



Next, that, as both portions of the land 

 used in the experiment were opened up 

 eighteen inches deep by the subsoil plough 

 for crop in 1837, the full benefit of that ope- 

 ration is not obtained till the earth so loosen- 

 ed is again ploughed up. And the reason is 

 evident ; for it is then only that the soil is 

 deepened, by an addition from the subsoil 

 with which it is intermixed, and rendered 

 more fruitful. 



Lastly: if deep ploughing increases the 

 produce, it increases also the supply of ve- 

 getable manure; and a greater portion of 

 manure, added to improved culture, must 

 produce a progressive increase of fertility 

 and of produce. 



Children. — Speak to a child — any child — 

 in a calm, positive, clear voice, and he will 

 be sure to obey you, if you speak once, and 

 only once. — Mrs. Sigoitrney. 



The Eureka says that the oldest evidence 

 of the application of steam as a power in 

 England, is a patent granted to Thomas 

 Savery in July, 1698. 



