ESSAY ON DEEP TILLTXO. J 25 



ers are hired by the year, say at an average of thirteen dollars per 

 month, or at the rate of 50 cents per day including board, thus 

 lessening the expense about one half. It may also be done early 

 in spring or late in the fall, when other work is not pressing, or at 

 any intermediate leisure time. This may be thought too expensive 

 for common farming crops where other means and modes can be 

 extensively employed. But it is indispensable for all garden pur- 

 poses, for ornamental grounds, and for trees of all kinds ; once done, 

 it is done for a life-time. To us the expense is balanced by the 

 gratification in doing it, and in witnessing the subsequent increased 

 growth and produce of everything cultivated. With what satisfac- 

 tion do we see " dog-grass " plunged to the bottom of a trench, 

 never again to rise ! along with the seeds of innumerable weeds, 

 accumulated by years of neglected cultivation, never more to vege- 

 tate. In fact, we think the time saved by thus obviating the necessity 

 of destroying weeds on many pieces of land, would, in half a dozen 

 years, equal the time spent in trenching ; the soil in the former case 

 not being permanently improved, while the value of the trenched 

 increases annually. 



As the operation progresses, all the manure that can be 

 spared may be mixed with the soil, or carted upon the new surface 

 after the ground is frozen. We also spread on lime or ashes to neu- 

 tralize any acids that may be in the yellow virgin soil, already richer 

 to us than if colored by the golden sands of California. We are aware 

 that many look upon this yellow loam as being positively noxious, 

 which we so much delight to see upon the surface, to be enriched 

 by the rains and snows of summer and winter, and pulverized by the 

 freezing and thawing of spring and fall, while the roots of our trees, 

 strawberries and roses, are reveling in the rich loam beneath. 



TRENCn-SOILING. 



We have presumed to coin a new term for the process of deep- 

 ening the soil while trenching. It might more properly be called 

 sub-soiling, if this was not already used synonymously with sub-soil 

 ploughing. Wlien the under soil is not capable of being made 

 productive, it should be removed, and turf, loam, muck, manure or 

 compost, substituted. We have often been surprised at the variety 

 of sub-soil in nearly the same location, not always indicated by the 

 super-soil. Gravel, stones, sand or clay, are not unfrequently a 

 foot or less below the surface. In trenching two acres we obtained 



