34 



On Subsoil-Ploughing. 



over ever y other kind of roller in this respect, because it leaves 

 an uneven surface instead of a flat one, from which the rain, in 

 sandy land especially, is apt to run off without nourishing or re- 

 reshing the crop. 



The oats came out very healthy, and had no check : in sixteen 

 weeks from the time of sowing they were reaped, and when 



thrashed yielded lOJ quarters per acre, which were sold at 26,9. 



per quarter, and this from land that was let two years before at 



2,9. 6d. per acre. 



I calculate the expence of sub soil -ploughing, according to my 



mode of using it, at 26s. per acre, thus : — 



Four horses and two men, per day . 14,?. 

 Two beasts and one man . . . 5^. 



195. 



These will do 3 roods per day. The oxen are yoked to the plough, 

 and the four horses precede, I sowed 40 acres with oats, of the 

 same flat of land that had been pared and burnt, but not subsoil- 

 ploughed, from want of time. The produce of this was not more 

 than 3 qrs. per acre, and straw small and short ; a very fair proof 

 of the advantage of subsoiling. 



I have now 100 acres of wheat and oats growing on what was 

 the very worst part of the whole property, and considered perfectly 

 useless. It has been drained, pared, and burnt, and subsoiled 

 exactly after the mode above detailed ; and it looks as promising 

 as what was so good last year. The land upon which I had po- 

 tatoes exhibits as decided a superiority ; and I shall in another 

 year be able to state what effect subsoiling has upon the turnip- 

 crop as upon the produce of the wheat. The ploughs weigh 

 16 St., being the lightest and easiest to work of any I have yet 

 seen : they were made by Messrs. Walker, ironfounders, York. 



R. Denison." 



The only other case I shall bring forward is one in which the 

 subsoil-plough was used in breaking up moor-pan. The Rev. 

 Mr. Croft, of Hutton- Bushel, who occupies some moorland, 

 lying on the calc-grit, thus describes the effect of subsoiling ; — 



The surface- soil is little more than half a spade deep, not 

 positively peat, but next akin to it ; at this time of year (Novem- 

 ber) it was always fetlock-deep : under this is the pan, about two 

 inches thick and as hard as iron. We broke a pick-axe in getting 

 a specimen for you. Below the pan is the rubbly soil, of which 

 I also send you a specimen for analysis. On this land nothing 

 would grow. In summer the crops would appear healthy and 

 good, but before harvest always dwindled away. I found it 



