716 7'ji^iys ACTIONS OF THE American Institute. 



the soil, like in Salem county, is already loose enough, this second 

 object of plowing forms the principal if not the only motive for plow- 

 ing. There experience has given the best rule how to perform that 

 operation. When asked by Dr. Trimble how deep they plowed, they 

 answered : Just deep enough to cover the manure. And this is 

 exactly the best depth for plowing in fresh manure, not only there 

 but everywhere. The tendency of the liquid and solid parts of 

 manures is downward, and were it not for its gaseous constituents, the 

 greatest benefit would be derived by spreading it upon the surface. 

 The tendency of the gases is upward, and to retain them we must 

 cover the manure. Therefore, in order to obtain all the benefit of 

 the manure applied, Ave must cover it with a layer of soil sufficient 

 to absorb the gases and yet keep it as near the surface as possible. 

 Experience has shown that a covering of two or three inches of soil 

 is sufficient to absorb and retain the gases of a heav}'- coat of manure. 

 Composted manures, bone dust, and all fertilizers containing none or 

 little free ammonia, are most advantageously used as a top dressing: 

 their fertilizing elements, being in a liquid or solid state, need no 

 covering to retain them. If manures of this class only were used in 

 Salem county, ther^i would be no necessity for plowing there at all; 

 the harrow and cultivator would probably be sufficient to prepare 

 their fields for seed beds. Unfortunately, however, there are millions 

 of acres on this continent not as favorably formed, and there, by 

 industry and labor, man must produce this desirable condition of tike 

 soil which nature has lavished upon Salem. By hard work of man 

 and beast, the ground must be broken up and deepened, before hard 

 frost sets in, when the alternate freezing and thawing finishes the 

 work of pulverizing and mellowing. Thus . prepared, spring finds 

 the unlucky outsider even with tlie Salem county farmer. Then his 

 principal object of i)lowing will be, as there, the covering of manure; 

 with the less soil he accomplishes this, the shallower he plows the 

 manure under, the greater will be his gain. So will we have to tofl 

 on, to deepen our acres gradually year after year, until human genius 

 achieves another triumph as great as the subsoil plow, until the steam 

 plow shall traverse our fields by railroad speed, and make the whole 

 earth one garden, one Salem county. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble. — So long as these much talked of farmers 

 of Salem county continue to double the crops of Westchester county, 

 wet or dry, so long they will continue to be so infatuated as to plow 

 as they have plowed, that they may continue to reap as they have 

 reaped. 



