REPORT OF COMMITTEE. 59 



betaken without the appHcation of manure; so we repeat that 

 draining our soils is a branch of improvement, and its principles 

 liitle understood, and its advantages not fully appreciated, and we 

 are not likely to learn much of either, only from expeiience and 

 observation. 



Havmg prepared the soil for tillage by under-draining, the 

 next work of importance is effected by the use of that very useful 

 farm implement, the plow. Although improvements within the 

 last half century have been made in the construction, yet the ad- 

 vancement in its use has not been in the same ratio ; neither, as a 

 general rule, have our grass lands or other lands been so well and 

 effectually worked by the plow as they were fifty years ago, and 

 for the simi)le reason that our boys and young men have not been 

 trained to the work ; for a man " to hold plow'" or let the plow 

 follow the team, the plowman having his mind and eyes on some 

 other object is 07ie thing, but to guage the plow, give proper draft 

 and cut a straight furrow, of uniform width and depth and lay the 

 same even and level throughout the field is quite another. And 

 not one in ten who has never been trained in the work is able to 

 perform the task. It was truly said by an experienced farmer that 

 it required more skill and ingenuity to govern and gauge the plow, 

 than for the builder to make one ; as the mechanic has both rule 

 and line to work by and guide him, while the plowman has only 

 his own eye and muscle to govern him ; hence, to become a plow- 

 man the individual must not only have an interest in and a desire 

 for the work, but he must have no small amount of practice. 



One object in plowing is to make a mellow seed-bed for the 

 plant capable of absorbing the elements from the atmosphere, es- 

 sential for its growth. The absorbing portion of the soil, is in pro- 

 portion to its fineness, the finer and more porous we make the soil, 

 the greater the power of absorption. It is well known that if water 

 adulterated with barn manure, be filtered through fine pulverized 

 clay, it is rendered nearly pure ; when drained through gravel it is 

 less so, and if sand is used, the change is hardly perceptible. So 

 that the finer we make the soil, in the same ratio will they retain 

 those elements of the atmosphere necessary for plant food. Hence 

 if we would have our soils retain the manure and fertilizers we put 

 upon them, it is important that we make them fine and porous ; 

 although pulverizing the soil is not applying manure, yet it serves 

 materially to aid the young rootlets in making their researches for 

 food, and hastens the crop. 



