FARM IMPLEMENTS. ^ 63 



much on the fineness of the particles. It is well known that if water, 

 adulterated with barn manure, be strained through fine clay, it becomes 

 partially pure ; if loam be used, it is less so ; if filtered through gravel 

 or sand, the change is hardly perceptible ; — proving that the water di- 

 minishes in purity, in proportion to the porosity of the soil, — sand, a 

 poor absorbent. Hence if we wish our soils to retain the manure we 

 put upon them and absorb from the atmosphere, the rains and dews, it 

 is all important that we well pulverize our soils and make them porous. 

 Clay is said to have more absorbing power than sand, not because of 

 the affinity that exists between clay and ammonia, but because the parti- 

 cles of dry clay are exceedingly fine, and the ammonia is retained by 

 them. Although pulverization is not a complete substitute for manure, 

 yet it materially aids the young rootlets in making their researches, and 

 hastening the crop. 



One object then in plowing is, to turnHhe sod or stubble, so that the 

 air and rains may penetrate the soils and deposit their fertilizing influ- 

 ences. In plowing sod ground, two opinions seem to prevail. The 

 first, that the furrow slice should be cut and laid independent by itself, 

 and the whole field thus plowed should present a smooth, flat surface ; 

 doubtless this method is preferable, if we intend to stock the field down 

 to grass, either with or without small grain, as it then becomes an easy 

 matter, with a cultivating harrow, to make a level, smooth field, fit for 

 the mowinor machine the next season. But in case the field is to be 



o 



cultivated in some hoed crop, we prefer that the furrows should be 

 somewhat shaken up, and lap a little upon each other, and their rela- 

 tions to a certain extent disturbed. 



It will be found that the sod thus broken by the plow will much 

 » .more readily yield to the harrow, than the field that presents the 

 smooth and even surface ; and if it contains a large amount of clay, 

 it soon becomes dry and hard, through the influence of solar heat, and 

 is not easily pulverized. We know of no plow so well adapted for pul- 

 verizing the soil, as that already alluded to. It requires a strong team 

 before it and an expert behind it, but what is lost in the muscle of the 

 animals is gained in the crop that follows. 



Another object in plowing is to mix the soils. It frequently hap. 

 pens that the surface soil is sand, and the subsoil, clay, or the surface 

 -abounds in vegetable matter and the subsoil wanting. Now it is all 



