Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 615 



Maxims in Plowing. 

 Now, from, these carefully tried experiments of our most successful 

 farmers, we may draw the following twelve conclusions, and set them 

 down as settled truths and facts, to wit : 



1. That shallow plowing ranges from three to five inches deep, and 

 common or medium depth plowing from six to eight inches, and deep 

 plowing from nine to fifteen inches deep, or more. 



2. That new grounds are generally plowed shallow at first, and 

 gradually deeper as tlie surface soil becomes poor, until a medium 

 deptli of plowing is attained. ISTew grounds that are full of roots or 

 hard earth must of necessity be plowed up shallow at first, and gradu- 

 ally deepened afterward as the surface soil becomes poorer. But so 

 long as shallow plowing will, upon any soils, produce abundant crops 

 of good grain, grass, and the like, it would be unwise for us to plow 

 them any deeper, for two reasons ; first, because such deeper plowing 

 would impose upon us an unnecessary amount of labor ; and secondly, 

 because it would cause the fertilizing elements in our soil to be used 

 up or wasted much faster than is profitable or necessar3\ 



3. That the best or most profitable depths of plowing will on every 

 man's farm depend upon the nature of his soil and subsoil, and his 

 supply of suitable manures. 



4. That deep plowing will, even without manure, be profitable on 

 all such soils and subsoils as are loamy and mellow, and contain by 

 nature either a large or a moderate supply of fertilizing elements 

 lying below our common depth of plowing. But that profitableness 

 will, in case the supply of fertilizing elements be but moderate, be 

 much increased by an application of suitable manures. 



5. That when tlie remains of the lime and other manures, put 

 upon the soil in previous years, have sunk down into the subsoil, or 

 near it, and rest there, it will be profitable to plow deep enough to 

 bring those remains of former manures up where the roots of growing 

 plants can feed on them. 



6. That deep plowing will be unprofitable, and at times very inju- 

 rious when it brings up to the surface a cold, tougli, and barren sub- 

 soil; and that vrlien such subsoils are plowed up to the suriace it 

 ought to be done cautiously, and only to a depth of one or two inches 

 at a time, and then be immediately and liberally manured with such 

 manures as will correct the coldness of such subsoil earth, and make- 

 it rich and mellow. 



