MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 755 



of planting ; thus giving the sod sufficient time to decompose, 

 and the hard clayey portions of the soil to become pulverized 

 by the action of the atmosphere and frost. This not only fits 

 it for the necessary wants of the plant, but renders it much 

 easier cultivated than it could possibly be by spring ploughing. 



These lands should be ploughed deep, from seven to eight 

 inches, (if not subsoiled,) with a good coat of manure turned 

 under, for this, with the decomposed sod, furnishes a large 

 supply of nutritious matter through the season of growth. At 

 the same time there should be a dressing of pulverized manure, 

 say fifteen or twenty loads to the acre, and ploughed in before 

 planting, but not so deep as to disturb the old sod, for that 

 should be left as a resource for the corn roots through the latter 

 part of the season. 



The land for all hoed plants should be well prepared by 

 ploughing and harrowing, to insure a good crop. 



The more loamy and sandy soils may be ploughed in the 

 fall or spring, to advantage, if the furrow slice be laid flat, and 

 well harrowed or cultivated before fermentation commences, 

 by the decomposing of the sward and manures, if any have 

 been spread in before ploughing; so that all the gases may be 

 taken up by the soil, to be given off as the plant in its growth 

 may require. 



These lands should never be ploughed less than seven inches 

 in depth. Deep ploughing almost invariably insures good 

 earing. While light or shallow ploughing is quite as sure to 

 give short ears and a light crop. 



Some farmers prefer, after ploughing and harrowing, to mark 

 out their land with a dray, three and a half or four feet apart 

 each way, and plant on the furrow slice, which appears to me 

 to be incorrect ; for a good lot, well ploughed and prepared for 

 the crop, may be so managed in depositing the seed, as to give 

 a poor return for the labor bestowed. For instance, if the 

 land is ploughed deep, and the manure turned in as it should 

 be, leaving a cold inactive soil on the surface, and the seed 

 then deposited four feet apart between the hills, the corn can 

 never grow large, or yield more than twenty-five or thirty-five 

 bushels per acre. "Whereas, if the same lands were furrowed 

 out with a plough, down to the sward, (without disturbing it,) 



