No. 216] 779 



Chairman. Experiment fully establishes the fact, that carbonic 

 acid is taken up by foliage. 



Judge Van Wyck. Our regular subject is one of the most im- 

 portant in the great work of agriculture, and in reference to plough- 

 ing we must be governed by practice. The great object is to pulve- 

 rize the earth, in order that roots may readily penetrate it, and that 

 the plants, having free and full room for their roots, and greater 

 range for food, may not only have a vigorous growth of stems and 

 leaves, but perfect their seeds. 



Perfect ploughing is of recent practice, as united with sub-soiling, 

 introduced by a few gentlemen in England, who had remarked the 

 great fertility of gardens which had been deeply dug. It is only 

 some fifteen or twenty years ago. I have known farms in our coun- 

 try poorly ploughed and badly manured, generally run down in their 

 produce, and sold out to those who ploughed and sub-soiled, or rather 

 ploughed deep, from 10 to 14 inches, (according to the quality of 

 the land,) and these nev; cultivators got one'-third more crop wnth but 

 little manure. JNIany sub-soils have valuable properties, which, when 

 they (the sub-soils) are well pulverized and penetrated by air and 

 moisture become available to the farmer. Such as lime, marl, &c., 

 and the mineral manures generally, when put on or lying near the 

 land, sink down into the sub-soil, and also a portion of the putres- 

 cent manues are carried down by rains, especially in light soils. 

 The farmers who have bought those ill tilled lands, have reaped the 

 benefit of the new and improved culture, by getting fine crops. 

 Stock must be upon a farm to enrich it with their manure. A farm 

 well stocked is always right. Stock is an unfailing source of ma- 

 nure. A farm where the surface soil, only four or five inches deep, 

 has been stirred for years by the plough, becomes too poor for grass 

 or grain, and of course cannot support much stock. It may answer 

 in a sandy sub-soil to turn some of it up to the surface, but a stiff 

 or clay sub-soil had belter be well stirred, but not brought up to the 

 surface in less than two years afterwards. 



Oliver Smith. Soil should be thoroughly loosened, perhaps a foot 

 in depth. Water runs down in heavy rains, but rises in hot, dry 

 weather, and brings up w'ith it elements necessary to vegetation. 



Mr. Sherwood. I am of opinion that, (as a gpneral thing,) sub- 

 soils which have been thoroughly stirred for two years, may then be, 

 with great advantage, turned up to the surface. The great distance 



