FRANKLIN SOCIETY. 285 



too shallow ploughing, than of its being filtered away and lost 

 by being buried too deep. Another consideration will serve to 

 show the value of deep ploughing to defend the growing crops 

 from the droughts. In the dryest and hottest weather, the air 

 contains a large amount of moisture, that is condensed in 

 drops upon all bodies and substances of a lower temperature 

 than the atmosphere itself, as the pitchers and glasses on oui 

 table show, as well as the bricks and stones of om- pavements, 

 and the leaves and flowers glistening in their morning coronets 

 of flashing dew-drops. In this way, in time of drought, every 

 particle of sand and earth receives and drinks in moisture from 

 the air, especially when the night has reduced their tempera- 

 ture ; and it is thus obvious that the deeper the air is allowed 

 to enter freely, the greater will be the amowut of moisture 

 absorbed ; and thus in severe and long protracted droughts, 

 the light sandy soils suffer less than the more heavy and 

 clayey, which bake hard and refuse to allow the air to perco- 

 late through the pores, and thus carry to the suffering and 

 thirsty roots the refreshment which they need. 



Especially, if the subsoil be hard-pan, to give proper drain- 

 age and to allow the roots to penetrate, deep ploughing, in the 

 opinion of your committee, is the sine qua non. 



In a stiff", heavy soil of clay or clayey loam, we believe no 

 one at the present day will have the hardihood to recommend 

 light tillage, for the only possibility of thorough culture depends 

 on the complete draining and the lightening up of the soil by 

 ploughing deep. Let every farmer among us who doubts, try 

 the experiment, by ploughing contiguous lands of Like lay and 

 character, one shallow and one deep, and let the difference in 

 their crops the coming year control his decision, and we shall 

 have no fears of his disagreeing with the views of the commit- 

 tee. And we believe that the great body of observing and 

 reflecting farmers, all over the land, are ready now to give a 

 hearty response to our recommendation of deep ploughing. 

 In the matter of the thorough disintegration, or breaking up 

 of the soil into particles — the gi^at aim of all ploughing and 

 cultivating — your committee cannot but feel it to be their duty 

 to recommend the double plough, or improved ^Michigan,* 



* Mathematical straight line plough, Knox's invention. The inclined planes of the 

 ploughshare graduated with such mathematical precision as to make the pressure on 

 all parts equal, and diminish the draft. 



