No. 9. 



77/ e Subsoil Plough. 



273 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The Subsoil Plough. 



Messrs. Editors, — From all that I have 

 heard and thought of the nature of subsoil- J 

 in?/. I have reason to believe that the system' 

 is calculated to be of primary importance to 

 our Western lands, by opening them to the 

 influence of the atmosphere and enabling 

 the crops, in a season of drought, to pene- 

 trate the earth in search of moisture, andj 

 when flooded with water, to allow it to pass, 

 away by a loosened subsoil — just as has beeni 

 represented in the pages of the Cabinet. And; 

 for all the various crops, the potatoe, the cab- 

 bage, and the corn especially, this must be| 

 indeed a desideratum. But this very tact; 

 shows the necessity of the labour being: 

 well performed, and by properly constructed 

 ploughs, which I fear is not to be expected,' 

 judging from the many plans for construct-! 

 ing cheap implements for the purpose, such,! 

 for instance, as the " heavy metal wheel set 

 with slightly curved iron spikes or teeth,"] 

 mentioned at page 79, vol. 5, of Cabinet, as' 

 also a harrow-tooth placed in a beam, or a 

 simple foot of iron added, to penetrate into 

 the subsoil a few inches only, without lifting 

 it up and pulverizing it, which is certainly 

 necessary, for the due performance of the 

 operation: in short, I calculate we are not 

 doing justice, either to the theory or the 

 practice of subsoiling, by endeavouring to 

 conduct the work in a way to escape ex- 

 pense in the labour required, or in the pro- 

 per construction of the implement. I ob- 

 serve that it has of late been thought more 

 advisable not to break up the subsoil, in the 

 first instance, to a very great depth, it being 

 natural to suppose that much of the richness 

 of the surface-soil will go, the first year, to 

 enrich the subsoil, and thus the benefit might 

 not be so apparent as may have been expect- 

 ed ; but it is feared that many of us would 

 neglect the necessary periodical stirrines, 

 and I therefore rather think that an effec- 

 tual working at once would be likely to suit 

 us best ; at the same time, there appears a 

 reasonableness in the suggestion. 



The drawing- of the Deanston subsoil 

 plough, page 361, of the fifth volume of the 

 Cabinet, shows it to be a formidable im- 

 plement, not likely soon to make its way 

 amongst us; its great weight, "300 lbs. of 

 wrought iron, with a length of 12 feet, and 

 a half," which might well require the 

 strength of six or eight horses, operating- as 

 an interdiction to its use under present cir- 

 cumstances. But I find that other ploughs 

 of smaller dimensions, have been invented 

 in this country, and that a size suitable to a 

 single horse, is expected soon to make its 

 appearance amongst us; these I should be 

 glad to see, for I have a strong- presentiment 

 that the operation of subsoiling our new 

 lands would be highly beneficial, assisting 

 in their drainage, and correcting acidity : 

 and this object I am now seeking, by asking 

 information respecting the best constructed 

 ploughs for the purpose; where they may be 

 obtained, and at what price. Several of my 

 neighbours also, are beginning to see the 

 rationality of the operation, but. like myself, 

 are fearful tha$ the labour of four or six 

 horses, in a plough of such gigantic propor- 

 tions, would be quite out of the question. 



Be so good as to advise in the case, and 

 oblige 



SlJESCRIBER. 



Michigan, March 4th, 1343. 



The cut at the head of this page, represents Prouty's 

 Patent Subsoil plough. They are made of three sizes 

 —for four, two, or one horse; are light in working, bat 

 of immense strength, and very effective in all lands; a 

 boy of 14 being competent to the task of holding them, 

 except in very stony soils; nor is the labour of the 

 team generally so great as that necessary to turn the 

 first furrow of seven inches deep, on the same land : 

 there is no doubt these ploughs will come into general 

 use. They are to be obtained at Prouty's Seed and Im- 

 plement store, No. 176 Market street, Philadelphia; 

 the four-horse size $12; the two-horse $10; and the 

 single horse, at $8; warranted to work well. Where 

 also may bt< found, improved agricultural tools and 

 machinery in the greatest variety, of first-rate work- 

 manship, constructed of the best materials, and at 

 moderate prices. — Ed. 



