AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 373 



The next plan is that promulgated by the celebrated author of 

 *'Talpa, or the Chronicles of a Clay Farm" — Chandos Wren Hos- 

 kyns I^squire. While other plans have for their object the pul- 

 verizing of the soil by an action similar to that of the plow, this 

 proposes to introduce a new principle of action, namely : the 

 abrading or rubbing down of successive portions of soil until a 

 fine tilth of considerable depth and of somewhat uniform quality 

 is obtainable. This abrading action is produced by the rapid 

 rotation of a series of cutters, a slow progressive motion being 

 given at the same time to the machine to which these cutters ai'e 

 afl3.xed. This progression is regulated according to the nature of 

 the soil. The cutters make and maintain a trench of a given 

 depth, in Avhich it works and cuts, or abrades the soil on the land 

 side, and deposits it behind in an inverted, comminuted and 

 aerated condition Moved by a cylinder steam machine, kc. 



Let American engineers look into this matter, especially with 

 reference to our vast prairie lands. 



An extensive essay on Geology as applied to Agriculture, will 

 reward the reader of it by sound knowledge. 



Easaltic rocks contain phosphoric acid, and are, when redviced 

 to soil, capable of furnishing plants with almost all the necessary 

 ingredients. 



ITALIAN RYE GRASS. 



Grown by sewage manure, near Glasgow. Mr. Young measured 

 its growth and found it to be about two inches in twenty-four 

 hours. Within seven months Mr. Kennedy has cut seventy tons 

 of this rye grass from an acre being cut four or five times. A suit- 

 able soil for this growth is found to be clay or clay on an open 

 bottom, loam on gravel, old red sandstone, or black peat drained 

 and limed; but limestone soil should be avoided. 



In France an experiment has succeeded in growing wheat by 

 mixing many kinds together. Fifteen varieties mixed and sown, 

 yielded 29 1-4 bushels per acre, while the best gave separately 

 26 1-2, and the poorest 12 3-4. The different times of flowering 

 giving more chances for production, and the different heights of 

 the straw prevents the ears from being too closely packed and 

 giving freer circulation of air among them, and more liberty for 

 the ears to expand during the filling of the grain. Five or six 

 varieties are sown in some parts of France. The results of these 

 mixtures has always been successful, produce never being inferior 

 to any one sort sown. 



[Am. Inst.] 



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