72 



P L O W I N G— H K S E T E A M S 



THKEE- HORSE TEAMS. 



1st, to James P. Putnam, of Fitchburg, 5,00 



2d, to Mclntire & Gushing, of Fitchburg, 3,00 



Respectfully submitted. 



D. H. MERRIAM, Chairman. 



^ » »i 



PLOWING— HORSE TEAMS. 



The Committee on plowing, with single horse teams, 

 have attended to the duty assigned them, and submit 

 the following report : 



We think as the Committees on plowing were many, 

 the reports on this branch of agriculture will be full 

 without our making any extended remarks, although we 

 believe that good plowing is the foundation and corner- 

 stone on which all our future hopes depend for success 

 in agriculture. But the great, mooted question is, 

 what is good plowing ? There are a great variety of 

 ideas ; some tell us shallow, some deep, some furrow- 

 slice, some flat, some wide, some narrow, &c. From what 

 little experience I have had, I would say not less than 

 seven inches deep, on seven-eighths of land suitable for 

 tillage purposes, and most lands even more. Never stir 

 the soil when so moist that it will not pulverize fine ; 

 and here I will say the iMichigan plow seems to be 

 peculiarily adapted to this purpose. The time was when 

 farmers thought our fallow ground could be broken only 

 by horned cattle ; but now they find the horse will do this 

 labor cheaper and quicker than the ox on most of our 



