366 Transactions of the American Institute. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — I do not envy the position he has taken, for he 

 is in direct opposition to every learned and practical man who has 

 written upon agriculture since we have had any literature. Since 

 John Johnston and Geddes, there is not one agricultural man living 

 but has advocated deep plowing as a principle. Mr. Pettit can set 

 himself up in opposition to these men if he chooses, but no one will 

 envy him the position. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble. — I have heard Mr. Geddes speak upon the 

 subject of deep plowing; but he lives in a district of country where 

 you may plow as deeply as you like, and still the soil is the same 

 thing ; it is a drift. Not only that, but he says it is necessary to put 

 manure upon the ground. It is not one in a thousand farmers who 

 are so situated in regard to their land. Here is Mr. Pettit, who says 

 that he has brought up land from a poor state to the highest condi- 

 tion, and never plowed more than five inches. I will take anybody 

 here, and go next week to farms down there where they do not plow 

 five inches, and which produces double the amount of Mr, Geddes' 

 or anybody else in New York. I will take a bet that I will show as 

 many fields producing 100 bushels of corn to the acre, with shallow 

 plowing, as he will show me fifty bushels to the acre with deep plow- 

 ing ; and shallow plowing is attended with so much less expense. 

 I wish to warn farmers against the danger of throwing thin soil, on 

 which they must depend, under the depth of subsoil which they do 

 not want upon the surface. I hope the deep plower will examine 

 this letter, and prove that it is correct. By all means let it go out, 

 that the farmers can see the reasons of that plain, practical farmer's 

 account, who lives in a region where you will see more than seventy 

 fields of corn which average seventy and eighty bushels .to the acre, 

 and has shown over forty acres which average 100 bushels to the 

 acre. That is far better than mere theories. 



Mr. Steven P. Andrews said that he was not a farmer, but he 

 might relate some facts which he heard from a farmer from South 

 Carolina, who was a most intelligent gentleman. He said that several 

 of his neighbors had been reading the northern journals advocating 

 deep plowing, and they had sent up here to procure plows for deep 

 plowing, and plowed tlieir plantations, and the result was that they 

 ruined their farms. The soil was light, and the change that it had 

 produced, throwing up the subsoil upon the top of the light produc- 

 tive soil ruined several farms. 



Mr. A. S. Fuller. — I advocate deep culture as a principle, not 



