Causes of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 
197 
plough ; but such cases will be found very rare, and the intelligent 
man who understands the value of his winter ploughing, will 
generally find his opportunity. Then again, the slovenly manner 
in which the work is often hurried over, " because it is only the 
stubbles and does not matter," is a proof of the ignorance of 
principles which exists among many so-called practical men. 
The autumn ploughing of stubbles for the fallow crop is the 
most important operation of the whole rotation, and the succeed- 
ing crops will greatly depend upon the way in which it is done. 
We should aim at quality rather than quantity, ploughing as 
deep as the soil will allow, without bringing up above an inch 
or two of the subsoil ; holding small furrows and laying them up 
at a considerable angle, so that rain will not remain long on the 
surface ; laying out the field into convenient sized lands, higher 
or lower, larger or smaller, according to the tenacity of the soil ; 
carefully crumbing out the furrows, and making proper grips to 
cai'ry off the excess of water consequent on heavy winter rains. 
J3y such means we insure the soil receiving all tlie benefits 
which the changes of weather can produce : the atmosphere will 
penetrate, because we have taken precautions to allow of the 
moisture getting away ; the soil must become pulverized, and 
will be ready to woi'k in the spring much sooner than land un- 
touched, which, lying flatter and with no surface drainage, will 
most likely have remained saturated with moisture all winter, 
and will turn up raw and stubborn, at the very time that the 
autumn-ploughed may be ready to receive a crop.* The practice 
of deep ploughing is happily on the increase, and its importance 
seems now generally recognised by all the best farmers ; yet it 
is lamentable to see with what fatal attachment a large class still 
adhere to old customs and prejudices. The practice of Mr. Smith 
of Lois Weedon, though not of a nature to be followed on the 
large scale, has been of extreme value in pointing out the 
immense advantage of deep cultivation on all soils containing 
any considerable quantity of clay. It seems only extraordinary 
that in these days of cheap publications and railway communica- 
tion, it should be necessary to point out and reiterate facts which 
appear so self-evident to every candid observer. Depth of soil 
ought to be one of the desideratums of the farmer, and yet with 
* Mr. E. Wortley, of Ridlington, W. Uppingham, Rutland, a most intelligent 
agriculturist, has adopted a rather novel mode of treating his fallows. The stubbles 
are carefully forked after harvest, and the land laid up in ridges, the plough being 
set about 8 inches deep ; by this means a great extent of surface is exposed to 
atmospheric influences. As opportunity offers, the intervening spaces are sub- 
soiled. Early in Spring the ridges are split, the soil being, of course, thrown back 
upon the subsoiled ground, and left in this state until the root-crop is sown. The 
soil is stiff clay, and, having lately examined the land, I can testify to the beautiful 
mould-like state it is in. 
