Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-07-24

subsoii plougn. Al ne value OF this Im.
plemeni will, Il is true, vary much with
the nature of the earth TO which it is ap.
Piled, but in most situations we believe It
10 be one OF the cheapest and most eff
cient means of improving the soil. /, is
happy expedIen, by which all the old
opposition 10 deep pIoughing is a, once
removed. By this means the earth can
be stirred and melowed to great depth,
whilst the shallow mould upon the surface
IS kept where it is most desirable to retain
It. II any farmer is so green as to ask,
what IS the use of breaking up the soil
below, we answer, that it is only pulver-
zed earth that attracts and retains mois-
tufe; L a few inches below the surface
you have compact puddled clay, into
which the roots OF plants can never peDe-
trate, when the exhausting hea; OF the
summer sun has evapotated the moisture,
as it will do for several inches, what is to
support the pIantl Oh then we have a
drought, as it is called but if YOU will
permit the roots TO penetrate fifteen or
twenty inches into your subsoll, and they
will gladly avail themselves Of the oppor-
tuniy, they will then find inexhaustbIe
supplies OF moisture in which they may
revel, secure from the whitening rays of
the fiery sur, which seek in vain 10 pen.
citrate their storehouse far beyond his
reach ;hey laugh the sun to scorn, and
whilst they avail themselves Of all his
genial influences. they rob him of his ter
rors. AS cleanliness has expelled the
once dreaded plague from modern Europe,
50 NAV the practice OF subsoiliDg forever
expel the demon of drought from the
fields OF the intelligent farmer.
But the prevention Of drought is by no
means all the benefit to be derived from
the practice of su5soIl ploughing. Be-
meath that portion of the earih's surface
which has been subjected to cultivation,
lies virgin soil, possessed of different but
unexhsusted, and frequently, very valua.
BILE mineral properties. 1t sometimes hap.
pens that this soil in It's primitive state, is
very Inimcal 10 vegetation, but when
freely operated upon by the atmosphere
it undergoes chemical changes that as
simulate it to the most productive of the
virgin soils that are found upon the sur
face. To this operation Of the atmos-
phere these slumbering stores OF fertiliza-
lion are exposed by the breakenlug and
Ioosening effect Of the subsol plough. -
Alter the subsoil has been thus tegenerat-
ed by the admission OF the atmosphere
into its bosom, il may be turned up with
the greatest advantage, and gradually
converted from sub TO surface soil. la
this way, not only will valuable mineral
ingredients be eventually brought to the
surface, where without injury they may
be exposed still farther TO the ameliorat-
ing Influence of the atmosphere, but it al
so not unfrequentiy happens that into
this subsol has been filtered the salts of
much vegetable manure applied to the
upper surface.
This is very pretty theory, says the
practical farmer, but what are the facts
The facts are numerous and incontrover.
uble. Since the statements made by MIR.
Smith, of Deauston, to the Agricultural
Committee of the English House OF Com
mons in 1886. of the result of his expert.
ments in the use Of the subsoil plough
this great improvement has been grad
ually progressing, and we believe, if not
the most brilliant, it is yet destined to be
esteemed the most valuable discovery Of
the nineteenth century. From time to
time, we have recorded the most authen.
tic statements of the wonderful effect Of
this process, and yet how few compara-
lively have Systematically adopted it,
We remember that last year we saw at
the farm Of Mr.. Joseph Sinton, near this
city, one Of the finest crops of turnips we
ever beheld. Mr.. Sinton estimated that
it would yield him double as much as he
had ever gathered from the same quaint.
ty OF land before, aud this excess he at.
tributed solely to a small subsol plough
that he had used in their cultivation and
few days since we heard him declare,
that if he could not get another, he would
not take fifty dollars for this little imple-
ment.
But we believe our readers generally
have seen and heard enough OF subsoil
ploughing to satisfy them of its utility. -
The greatest difficulty to its more general
introduction, is the want of the implement
and detailed description of the proper
mode Of using it. The subsoil plough
most generally approved in this country,
consists Of broad, fiat, upright standard.
fastened to the beam as the mouldboard
usually is: to this standard is attached
the point and share of common plough
commencing where the share ends, and
running back, piece of cast iron, about
half an inch thick, three inches wide, and
fourteen inches long, is bolted, with one
of its edges against the perpendicular
standard; at the back of this standard
which may be considered the heel of the
plough, this piece OF iron is elevated about
four inches, forming an inclined plane,
which serves to upheave and break out
the earth from furrow to furrow. We
have seen all the subsoil ploughs in use,
and have endeavoured TO describe the one
that seems by common consent TO be pre-
ferred at the North but for our part, we
CONFESS thst we do not see any great ad.
vantage that any Of them have over a
good strong new ground coulter, such as
may be made at any biacksmlth's shop 10
the country especially ifto it is sttached
an elevated wing, 10 answer the purpose
for which the side niaca of the snbsoiI