No. 133.] 449 



of the land, and he was right. Virginia once let her land lie 

 still, and she had to run away from it, for it would no longer 

 sustain her ; it would grow nothing, sir. Mr. Pell never lets his 

 land lie still; he ploughs much, and he ploughs deep. Professor 

 Mapes ploughs thirty inches deep, that roots may go deep for 

 their food, and help the leaves draw from the air. Sir, our old 

 plan of letting sod get rich and then ploughing it up is a good 

 plan. 



Mr. Scott — The subject of the movement of the sap has been 

 greatly discussed. The sap which has been elaborated in the ex- 

 tremities of branches, cannot have been drawn from the atmos- 

 phere. TulPs system of stirring the soil much and deep, has not 



yet been shaken. Mr. Smith, of , has raised successive fine 



crops of wheat on the same land by stirring the land much and 

 often. 



The Secretary — A great many years ago, an Englishman came 

 to Connecticut in search ot a farm. In one of the old towns he 

 noticed a ruined farm-house, barn, farm in ruins, and the land 

 showing here and there a mullen. He asked about it, and was 

 told it was worn out long ago, was deserted and is good for no- 

 thing. He bought the farm at about one-tenth the price of good 

 lands, he repaired all the buildings and fences, and in the spring 

 began with large deep ploughs and strong teams to plough the 

 farm — first one way and then across — and so on during the sum- 

 mer season. He put no manure whatever upon it. In the fall 

 he sowed wheat. His neighbors considered him to be a decided 

 fool. The wheat came up nobly, to the astonishment of the land 

 skinners, and the crop was about thirty bushels to the acre, or 

 about double the common crop of the skinners. 



The subject of American Forest Trees to be continued at the 

 next regular meeting, on the first day of March. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



[Assembly, No. 133.] 29 



