9 6 



AGRICULTURE 



As we learned, depth of plowing and direction of furrow do much 

 to drain land and also to prevent washing. 



Some farmers work as if only four inches of the top soil be- 

 longed' to them and they were afraid of robbing some one below. 

 If they would cultivate the soil well to a depth of eight inches, it 

 would produce much larger crops at little more expense. 



A shallow soil should be deepened gradually, an inch at a time, 

 until its depth is nine or ten inches. It is important that the 

 process be gradual ; productiveness is lessened by bringing to the 

 surface a large amount of the subsoil, because the plant food in 

 it is unavailable. 



It is generally a bad plan to plow land the same depth year after 

 year. The plow, as it lifts the furrow-slice, presses the soil together 

 at the bottom of the furrow. In land plowed the same depth for 

 several years, a hard, close layer is formed, called the ' plow pan.' 

 This is injurious in most soils. The surface soil is apt to wash 

 off, and the hard lower soil does not freely admit roots and moisture. 



Subsoiling. 

 The subsoil plow 

 is one which 

 loosens the lower 

 soil and, without 

 bringing it to the 

 surface, opens it 

 to air, moisture, 

 and roots. Some 

 good farmers ap- 

 prove and prac- 

 tice subsoiling. Others say that few soils require or repay the 

 labor. They think that it is better to loosen the lower soil by 

 deep plowing with large plows drawn by heavy teams, by under- 

 drains, and by clover and root crops. 



A GOOD SUBSOIL PLOW 



