PLOUGHS AND PLOUGHING. /5 



devised. For the reasons before given, we think 

 Ihat subsoil ploughing will do this more effectually 

 than any other method. By allowing the surface- 

 water to settle, the clayey part will not become so 

 saturated, and, of course, frosts will have less effect 

 than where the upper soil is nothing but paste. 

 The roots of autumn-sown wheat will penetrate also 

 deeper into the earth, and thus be better prepared 

 to resist the lifting process of the spring frosts. And 

 though soils so ploughed will, in the course of a few 

 years, be again closely settled together, yet each 

 successive breaking of the soil, by admitting the in- 

 troduction of the roots of plants, and the natural 

 sinking of manures applied to the surface, will event- 

 ually convert the whole soil, so stirred into good ar- 

 able land, and give a depth sufficient for any of the 

 ordinary purposes of agriculture. For ourselves, 

 we think the subsoil plough promises greater advan- 

 tages to the occupants of hardpan or tenacious clay 

 soils than any system of culture yet devised for 

 them ; and we shall be pleased to hear that our 

 farmers, where such a plough is needed, have made 

 a trial of its virtues. 



The question is sometimes asked, whether it is 

 best to plough land in the fall ; and, if answered in 

 the affirmative, the reasons for such a procedure are 

 demanded. We think that fail ploughing is desira- 

 ble in most cases and on most soils, for the follow- 

 ing, among other reasons that miglit be given. 



ist. It is one of the established principles of phil- 

 osophical agriculture, that the soil derives much of 

 its productive power from the air ; and that chymi- 

 cal changes and combinations are constantly going 

 on, by which fertility is greatly increased. These 

 alterative effects of the atmosphere and these 

 changes of the qualities of the soil are the more act- 

 ive and efficient as nev/ surfaces are exposed to 

 its action. For instance, much greater quantities 

 of carbonic gas will be absorbed by a given surface 



