NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



69 



Societies ; but large bodies move slowh% and I fear it 

 will be a long while before they fulfil their inten- 

 tions. But supposing the above difficulties are re- 

 moved, there are others that are not so easily dis- 

 posed of. Soils have much to do with the raising of 

 good fruit, probably more than most people imagine, 

 and sunshine and shade, and stimulants in the 

 shape of manures, have their due influence. And 

 hero the doctors disagree, and create a confusion 

 enough to make the unlearned give up in despair. 

 One goes for a sandy soil, another says clay ; one says 

 dry soil, another wet ; one recommends stimulating 

 guano, and another some inert scrapings from the 

 road-side ; one saj's unfermcnted manure is best, and 

 another says no ; and so on to the end of the chapter. 

 Alas ! it is more than poor human nature can bear, 

 and the book is shut without one ray of light left to 

 guide the reader. But there is a cause, I think, for 

 all this. Many of those who have put forth their ex- 

 periments (I say it without any disrespect) have not 

 been thoroughly educated to their business, and 

 their minds not having boon well trained to observe 

 with the nicety that is required the delicate influ- 

 ences of soils and manures, have come to erroneous 

 conclusions ofttimcs. If there is any branch of 

 business that claims an apprenticeship as long as that 

 of Jacob's, it is horticulture. Ay, a lifetime is too 

 short, even should it extend to a patriarchal length. 

 The cause suggests the remedy. 



The last difficulty that I shall name is unmovable. 

 The difference is in man's palate. You may put the 

 question to ton persons, asking which are the five 

 best kinds of apples, pears, plums, peaches, and 

 cherries, and no two shall agree in three out of the 

 five. AH the difficulties I have named will step in to 

 vary the opinions of each. 



My advice, then, is, that those who wish to purchase 

 should seek information from the highest sources, 

 and observe closely themselves, and even then they 

 will sometimes be disappointed. 



Truly yours. 



JOHN G. LOCKE. 



Lowell, Feb. 1, 1849. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 

 DEEP TILLAGE. 



Mr. Cole:- All cultivators of the soil, I think, will 

 agree that it is better to have a deep, rich soil, than a 

 thin one. Crops on a deep soil are not so easih' in- 

 jured, either by drought or excessive rains. In dry 

 weather, there is a better circulation of the moisture 

 amongst the roots of plants, and in wet, a free o^jpor- 

 tunity for the excess of water to soak down, and thus 

 be reserved for use in time of need. 



While all agree -VN'ith me in my views thus far, 

 there is a great diversity of opinion in relation to 

 the propriety of deepening the thin soils ; some 

 contending that the subsoil contains ^ja/so«, which, if 

 brought up and mixed with the surface soil, will 

 surely blast all the hopes of the unlucky farmer, 

 who shall be bold enovigh to attempt it, and that 

 it is not best to bring up a particle of the earth, in 

 order to deepen the soil, however thin it may be ; 

 ■while others as strongly advocate deoii ploughing 

 and deep tillage, bringing up the subsoil, to be acted 

 upon by the atmosphere, and at length forming a 

 deep, free soil, suitable for the production of abun- 

 dant crops. 



Having advocated, and practised upon the last of 

 these opinions for more than twenty-five years, the 

 object of this communication is, to give some hints 

 to farmers respecting deepening the soil. 



The nature of the soil and the circumstances of 

 the cultivation should always be considered. If the 

 subsoil is clay, or very hard and tenacious, the land 



should be ploughed in the fall, that the frost may 

 operate upon it ; and if there be not an abundance of 

 manure, a smaller (quantity should be brought up ; 

 so that there may not be sufficient to injure the 

 growth of the crops the first season, but rather to 

 increase them. Gravelly and sandy loams may be 

 ploughed deeper at first. If lands are wet, all the 

 good effects of "deep tillage" cannot be attained 

 until draining is resorted to. My practice has been, 

 and my advice now is, to deepen gradually ; but as I 

 have before stated, how fast, depends upon circum- 

 stances. By all means, however, obtain a deep rich 

 soil wherever you intend to till. 



A gentleman, who has travelled through the east- 

 ern and southern parts of this state considerably, 

 amongst farmers, and who is himself a cultivator of 

 the soil, remarked to me, a year or two since, that 

 he could pick out those farms where deep ploughing 

 had been the practice, from the superiority of the 

 crops, and that, upon inquiry of the owners, he was 

 seldom or never mistaken in his opinions. 

 Yours respectfullv, 



S. M.' STANLEY. 



West Atileborough, Feb. 1, 18i9. 



To the Editor of the New England Farmer. 



Ma. Cole : Having recently turned farmer, or, 

 rather, having resumed an occupation which I pur- 

 sued, to some extent, in my earlier years, and 

 having subscribed and paid for your new " New 

 England Farmer," I shall take the liberty, usually 

 claimed by the patrons of agricultural periodicals, to 

 propose questions, and, perhaps, occasionally to off'er 

 solutions ; and, possibl)% to give advice pertaining to 

 this department of industry ; conceding to you, of 

 course, the undoubted right of an editor, either to 

 put me in print or cast me under the table. 



The form, type, and paper, of your periodical, is 

 superior to any thing of the kind I have seen. Its 

 external appearance is neat as a California coin. It 

 will furnish, at the close of each year, a convenient 

 hand volume, Avith a fair, readable letter, free from the 

 many effacements on the numerous folds which are 

 necessarily made in the common folio sheet ; and, if 

 well conducted, will furnish a good library book, to 

 which the reader may frequently recur with pleasure, 

 as well as profit. And now I beg to advise that this 

 fine mechanical character of the paper may be scru- 

 pulously preserved. 



But perhaps you may think I am complimenting 

 the paper-maker, the engraver, and printer, at the 

 expense of the editor — that I commend the hand, 

 but neglect the head. I do not intend this. The first 

 glance at their work furnishes us the proof of their 

 abilitj' ; but the length, breadth, and depth of intel- 

 lectual, editorial powers are not so readily developed. 

 I am. much pleased with the articles, original and 

 selected, which have appeared in the first nrmibers ; 

 and your experience, acquired in a former chair, will 

 lead your subscribers to require much at your hands. 

 Indeed, the name you have assumed devolves on you 

 a heavy responsibility. The old " New England Far- 

 mer," the original of agricultural publications, at 

 least in this part of the country, was managed with 

 great ability, and probably ctFoctod more for the 

 good of agriculture, — as it occupied the entire field, 

 — than any subsequent publication in New England ; 

 but still I hope it will never be said, w'ith truth, of 

 you or your paper, — " Sequltur patrem, sed non pas- 

 sibus aquis." [Ho follows his father, but not with 

 equal steps. — Ed.] 



I suppose it is within the scope of your plan to 

 indulge, and even to cherish, inquiries upon all sub- 

 jects relating to agriculture and horticulture ; and to 

 publish the results of experiments which have been, 



