614 Transactions of the American Institute. 



of fifteen or twenty inches, with a large turning-plow and subsoil 

 jdIow, none but the most hasty rains, if any at all, will run or wash 

 away the soil. Within the last winter I have seen on my own farm 

 this fact fully illustrated. A rain, unparalleled in this country, by 

 which the water courses were raised higher than they had been 

 known for many years, fell on a piece of land that had been recently 

 plowed to the depth of twelve or fourteen inches, yet not a drop 

 escaped ; and consequently no part of the soil was borne off. 



13. Kentucky. — Micajah Burnett, of Mercer county, says : The 

 ground is prepared for planting corn by breaking it up in early spring 

 with two strong horses as deep as the plow can be made to penetrate ; 

 and deep and close plowing in the breaking-up of the ground for 

 wheat is also very important. {Ag. Rep. 1853,^^. 107 and 131.) 



14. North Carolina. — G. S. Sullivan, of Lincoln county, says : By 

 breaking up his land with a good subsoil plow, from ten to fifteen 

 inches deep, it would absorb all the rain and stand the drouth much 

 better. {Ag. Rej>. 1851, j9. 315.) 



15. South Carolina. — Wilmot S, Gibbs, of Chester district, says: 

 I believe I am the only man in this neighborhood who uses tae sub- 

 soil plow, and I have been doing so for many years with great bene- 

 fit. {Ag. Hep. 1850, j9. 232.) 



16. Missisuppi. — Ebenr. Ford, of Marion county, says. : In regard 

 to subsoil plowing in the cultivation of cotton, so far as my experi- 

 ence extends and from observation, I am satisfied that subsoil plow- 

 ing will prove beneficial only in strong clay and prairie lands ; and 

 upon light and sandy soils will prove injurious. {Ag. Rep. 1850, 

 p. 257.) 



17. Alahania. — James H. Foreman, of Chambers county, says : 

 Deep culture for the production of cotton will only do where the 

 soil is rich, and abundant in alkali, else the little fertilizing matter 

 will be so difiuscd through the broken subsoil tliat the cotton roots 

 will not be able to collect it. Hence we see deep culture without 

 manure produce large stalks with late and imperfectly matured seed, 

 while shallow culture producer", small stalks with better and earlier 

 developed seed, owing iv/ubabl}^ to the greater concentration of the 

 alkaline matter of the soil and consequent readier collection and 

 absorption by the roots. We are, therefore, impelled to the conclu- 

 sion that, however necessary subsoiling may be, it will be advisable 

 on thin soils to attain it gradually, say an inch or two in a season, 

 until the desired depth is reached. {Ag. Rep. 1852,^. 76.) 



