150 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



KOV. 8, IS 



ANn HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Edited by Joseph Breck. 



Boston, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1843. 



SUBSOIL PLOW AND PLOWING. 

 The Fubsail [.low has not vel been extensively opera- 

 ted with among us; the implement having been but re- 

 cently inlroduced. Il bids fair, however, to become of 

 great importance to our farmers, when its value shall 

 be more ftilly understood. 



Mr Smith, c.f Deanston, in Stirlingshire, England, 

 6rst employed or brought into general notice the subsoil 

 plow. He was examined before the agricultural com- 

 mittee of the House of Commons, in 1836, in relation to 

 it : the result of this examination was the general intro- 

 duction of " the Deanstonizing system of tillage," as it 

 was called, into the kingdom of Great Britain. Plows 

 of several kinds are used for the operation of subsoiling, 

 but the expense of the English plows would be too "real 

 for Amiiican agriculturists. At our suggestion, Mr 

 Charles Howard, of Hingham, set himself to work, in 

 the spring of 183tl, and constructed a subsoil plow. It 

 was of his own invention, he not having seen the de- 

 scription or a drawing of the English plows, at that 

 time. He only knew what was desirable tljat the plow 

 •hould perform, and that in the article, great simplicity 

 and easy draft were important requisites. He succeeded 

 in manufacturing a plow which can be afforded at the 

 low price of ,515, while an English plow, imported about 

 the same lime, cost $70 ; and much less power was nec- 

 essary for the former than for the latter. Since then, 

 Mr Howard has made some important improvements 

 A number of gentlemen have used his plow in I his neigh- 

 borhood, and think very favorably of it. It has produc- 

 ed a decided improvement on those soils where there 

 has been sufficient time to test its influence. 



With this plow, the subsoil or under crust oflhe earth 

 is broken or pulverized to the depth of 12 to 20 inches, 

 without bringing any of it to the top, or mixing it with 

 the suifiice soil, but by the action of the air upon this 

 disturbed substratum, it becomes, in the course: of a few 

 years, in a fit state to mix with the surface, and a portion 

 of it may be brought up by deep plowing, with great ad- 

 Tani.ige ; thus increasing the depth of the soil and pre- 

 paring the subsoil for the receplion of the roots of the 

 plants, which all cultiviilors know extend themselves a 

 great distance in search of nutriment and moisture. 



The subsoil plow requires two yoke of oxen, to do 

 the work effectually. A common plow, wiih one yoke 

 (two yoke in grass land,) goes before the subsoil plow, 

 throwing out a large open furrow. The subsoil plow 

 following, slits up and thoroughly breaks the subsoil, 

 and the next furrow of active sr.il is thrown over the 

 last opened furrow of the subsoil, and so on until the 

 field is finished. Some subsoils are so firm and com. 

 pact, that it requires a strong team to execute the busi- 

 ness in a proper manner. In a loamy or light soil, free 

 from stones, it is an easy task for two yoke (tf cattle. 



In some wet soils, subsoil plowing supercedes the ne- 

 cessity of draining, while in others its good effects are 

 hardly discernable until the land is properly drained. 

 Whero there is a thin substratum, compact, impervious 

 to water, resting upon one more porous, as is sometimes 

 the case, by breaking through this crust with the subsoil 

 plow, the water will settle down through it, and render 

 the surface dry. On very cl.iyey subsoils, it has been 

 found by experiment, in England, that the soil cannot 

 be permanently improved by the operation. It has been 



established that on soils tuntammg 43 per cent, and up- 

 wards of alumina, or ilay, ihey do not derive any bene- 

 fit from the process, as the subsoil will run together 

 again, and become as compact as when first moved by 

 the plow. An experiment on what is called " slilT 

 clay," on the red sandstone formation, which contained 

 only 24 per cent, of alumina and 55 per cent, of silica, 

 the subsoiling was highly satisfactory ; and it was in- 

 ferred that the point lo be ascertained on clayey soils, 

 was betiveen 24 i.nd 43 per cent, ofclay. It is consid- 

 ered that subsoiling confers the most permanent improve- 

 ment on soil in which silica predominates, also on all 

 light and shallow soils. 



On old fields, which have been plowed for many 

 years, there is often a solid cru-t formed by the repeated 

 action of the bottom of the plow, which becomes so 

 hard as to prevent the roots froin penetrating, or the free 

 circulation of the water. It must be evident to all, that 

 the breaking up of this crust by the subsoil plow, must 

 be of great benefit, by ameliorating and increasing the 

 fertility of the soil. 



" The chemical efi'ects of pulverizingand breaking up 

 a subsoil is certninly advantageous to the plant in two 

 w.nys, besides others with which we are, very likely, at 

 present unacquainted ; first, it renders the soil ponetra- 

 ble to a greater depth by the roots, or minute fibres of 

 the plant, and consequently renders more available any 

 decomposing matters, or earthy ingredients, which that 

 substratum may contain; and, secondly, it renders the 

 soil much more freely permeable by the atmosphere, 

 rendering, in consequence, a greatly increased supply, 

 not only of oxygen gas to the roots of the plants, but al- 

 so by yielding more moisture, not only from the soil, but 

 from atmospheric air; which moisture, let it be remem- 

 bered by the cultivator, is in all weathers as incessantly 

 absorbed by the soil, us it is universally contained in the 

 atmosphere, abounding most in the latter, in the very 

 peiiods when it is most needed by the plants — that is, 

 in the warmest and driest weather." 



" It is perhaps, needless to prove, that the roots of 

 commonly cultivated plants will penetrate, under favo- 

 rable circumstances, much greater depth into the soil, 

 in search of moisture, than they can, from the resistance 

 of the case-hardened subsoil, commonly attain. Thus 

 the roots of wheat plants, in loose, deep soils, have been 

 found to descend to a depth of two or three feet, or even 

 more; and il is evident, th ,t if plants are principally 

 sustained in dry weather by the atmospheric, aqueous 

 vapor absorbed by the soil, that that supply of water 

 must be necessarily increased, by enabling the atmos- 

 pheric vapor and gases, as well as the roots of plants, to 

 attain lo a greater depth ; for the interior of a well pul- 

 verized soil, be it remembered, continues steadily to ab- 

 sorb this essential food of vegetables, even when the sur- 

 face of the earth is drying in the sun." 



We might multiply quotations to show the amelio- 

 rating benefits of subsoil plowing ; but we think every 

 cultivator who duly considers the subject, will be con- 

 vinced that there can be no mistake in the matter. It 

 must be, that the general introduction of this implement 

 will prove of immense advantage to our county. We 

 cannot at this moment show the result of any careful ex- 

 periment with the subsoil plow in our neighborhood as 

 its use has been very limited, confined 10 a few cultiva- 

 tors only ; but their united testimony, is in its favor. 

 One gentleman who subsoiled half his corn-field, and 

 plowed ihe other half in the usual manner, says the diffe- 

 rence between that which was subsoiled and that which 

 was not, was very striking — the appearance being very 

 much in favor of the corn whore the subsoil plow 

 was used, the aiipcrior growth of which was apparent at 



a distance. What difference there is in the crop 

 have not yet learned. 



The experiments of the Hon. B V. French have 

 highly satisfactory. In consequence of the use ol 

 subsoil plow, he raised last year an extraordinary 

 of carrots — 26 tons to the acre — and his root cropi 

 year, are equally promising as those of last year, 

 the exception ol some portions of his field, where th 

 ficiancy !• attributed to the failure of the seed. W 

 ticed on his premises the beneficial effect of pulver 

 the subsoil, on some seedling pear trees, this year 

 seed, and on other plants. So confident is Mr Fr 

 of the importance of subsoiling, that he has usee 

 plow on all the land he has cultivated tho last two y 



If we cannot produce much testimony in favor ol 

 subsoil plow in our own country, we can produce f 

 dant evidence of its beneficial influence upon the 

 of England, where it has now come into general i 

 but this must be deferred for another occasion. 



Correction. — In the article on Land Drainin, 

 last week's paper, we said, in speaking of Mr Frei 

 system of draining, that lie filled the diains low 

 one, foot oflhe surface with stones ; it should have 

 to within a foot and a half, &c. 



MASS. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 exhibition or trcits. 



Saturday, Kov. 4, 184< 

 From the President of the Society, Dix, Passe 

 mar, and Louis Bonne d' Jersey, very highly col 

 and beautiful ; also the Urbaniste, Belmont, Anni 

 Comprette, Bourre Van Mons, Alpha, and St. Mil. 

 Pears. 



From E. Vose, a large basket and dish of the f 

 Duchess d' Angoiileme Pears probably ever exhil 

 in our rooms, not less than six dozen in number. 



From Joseph Coolidge, specimens o( Monsieur. 

 Pears, from a tree 120 years old. 



From F. Tudor, Pears— Napoleon, "The Great 

 known," which the committee were unanimous in 

 ing is no other than the Beurre Diel ; St. Mid 

 Arch .^nge, Napoleon, Marie Louise, Bonne d' Je 

 and Duchess d' Angouleine. 



From John Hooper, jr., fine Beurre Diel, Beurre J 



al, Duchess d' Angouleme, Belle d' Flanders, and 



ous other Pears, without names. 



From Samuel Pond, fine Dix Pears. 



From H. Vandine, Quinces and Marie Louise Pi 



From John Cass, a large basket of fine Isabella Gra 



From O. Tittle, Beverly; fine Seedling Apple, 



one for name. 



From J. Lovett, 2d, Pears— Beurre Delberg (?) 1 

 beautiful Seckels, and Surpasse St. Germain ; alsi 

 fine looking Melon. 



From Joseph S. Cabot, Pears — very fine specimen 

 the Gendesheim, Count d' Michaux, Wilkinson, 

 Lewis Pears. 



From John Smith, jr., Apples for a name, suppi 

 by some to be the Minister. 



For Ihe Committee, JOS. BRECt 



VtgttaUcs.—Mr Isaac Caldwell of Beverly, preset 

 some Potatoes raised Irom seed in the year 1639. 

 were much pleased vviili the appearance of the ep 

 mens ; but in this case the old adage of " the proo 

 the pudding is in the eating," will be applicable ; 

 shall therefore reserve our opinion of their quality u 

 we have tried them, which we intend doing at our ei 

 convenience, and report at some future period. 



Tlie Cauliflowers, by Messrs. J. Hooper, jr., am 

 Lovett, 2d, were very fine. 



Mr Edgar K. VVhitaker, of Needlinm, presented so 

 very fine specimens of Beets and Carrots. The larj 

 of the Beets weighed nearly 15 pounds. l] 



For the Committee, S. WALKER 'I 



