394 [Assembly 



comes from an extensive strata, then the whole affected land must be 

 drained, so as to effectually cut off every source. The land may also 

 be cold and wet from the nature of the subsoil. Sometimes there is 

 an impervious hardpan under the soil, at others, one of stiff clayey 

 soil, which stagnates the surface water. Besides draining, in this 

 case, the use of the subsoil plow will be highly advantageous. I 

 have used one of Ruggles, Nourse & Masons' subsoil plows, purchas- 

 ed of Mr. A. B. Allen of this city, and cannot speak too highly in 

 praise of its use. The land is first plowed with an ordinary plow, 

 and this follows in the same furrow, breaking up the subsoil without 

 bringing it to the surface; other lands may have a substratum of stone 

 under it, which prevents the water from passing off. I have seen 

 acres of land in this condition. Indeed most of the ground in the 

 vicinity of Union Place, in this city, is in this condition, and unless 

 there are regular sewers built along those streets, the cellars are par- 

 tially filled with water during every heavy rain. I doubt whether 

 such land could ever be improved for general crops economically. After 

 such lands are drained and subsoiled, they are fit for future cultiva- 

 tion and the application of manure. 



No. four; Dry and arid lands, require a treatment directly opposite 

 to the latter. I have endeavored to cultivate a piece of such land as 

 this unsuccessfully, for several years, until I pursued the following 

 plan, which I would most highly recommend to any farmer having a 

 dry side hill, with a light soil, and so exposed to the rays of the sun 

 as that the growing crops would be burned and dried up by them, es- 

 pecially in a dry hot season. I commenced by the application of 

 plastic clayey muck, which was deposited in the latter part of sum- 

 mer, and spread and plowed in in the spring, after which peas were 

 sown broadcast and slightly harrowed in, so as to leave the surface 

 rather rough. The peas grew finely, sheltered the ground, and kept 

 it cool through the hot days of summer. In September the vines were 

 plowed in, the rye was sown, and the land seeded down with timo- 

 thy. The rye looked last fall very fine, the timothy was showing it- 

 self, and when we shall have sown the clover seed next spring, and 

 thus finish the operation, I believe it will be the most satisfactory 

 improvement we have ever made on our farm. I would suggest here, 

 that if muck is employed as an amendment to light sandy or gravel- 

 ly soils, it should not be used unless it is of thick clayey consistence, 

 and it should never be mixed with lime, which always, according to 

 my experience, makes it light and friable, and consequently destroys 

 its properties as an amendment. If muck cannot be easily obtained, 

 clay should be brought to the surface if possible, or if it cannot be 



