The Southern journal., 1846-02-07
AGRICULTURAL.
From the Farmers Monthly Visitor.
Deep ploughing.

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All practical farmers are aware
that where the soil is buried, and the
poor strata beneath brought to the
surface by very deep ploughing, little
or no crops can be expected the first
year, unless manure is very freely ap-
piled to the surface. The reason for
this is apparent, and strikes the minds
of all who have had much experience,
for where sterility and poverty are on
the face Of the land nothing can be
expected. This also reveals another
important truth in agriculture, and
holds good with manure as well as
soils: it is the decomposition Of vege
table or animal substances that nour,
ishes vegetation, and this is effected
most rapidly when exposed TO the in
fiuence of the atmosphere. But if
deep ploughing, which places the soil
mostly out OF the reach Of the most nu.
merous root Of growing crops, induces
loss and unproductiveness, it does not
exactly follow that deep ploughing
is an error in farming. If we wish to
rear an orchard, does not experience
teach US to dig deep and wide, and
that side by side trees will grow more
than twice as fast as in the deep STIR
red mellow earth? If true in relation
to trees, should it not also be apt to
be true in the annually planted crops.
Is it not very generally true that from
desire to farm more land than we
can prepare, both manure and labor
fall short of their wonted return. How
productive are our little garden spots,
where the ground is completely pull
velsed and the manure well mixed; :;
and these little spots is the land that
are better naturally than all the1fest
OF farm? II these are generally ad.
mitted facts, then why shall we not
without hesitation practice at once
the mode whose results are SO decisive
ly advantageous? 81 MPly because
we cannot. Our farmers do not want
discernment and judgment: they well
know that compared with Europe
land is cheap, and labor dear, and
that their interest lies in farming as
they do. adopting from time to time
the improvements that science and
experience are daily unfolding. In
many parts ofthe old world where la
Dor is cheap and land dear, large
fields are entirely trenched to the
depth Of three or four feet; every
stone and roo! is removed, and the
land thus treated with manure and
care, are rendered highly productive.
In the west, where the emigrants
sit down side BY side with the Am
ericans upon new lands, the difference
is very remarkable in cultivation and
the comparative success.
The European cuts his trees one
By one entirely of. The Amerisan,
always the better axeman, cuts his
only about two-thirds; at last he fells
large tree to the windward, and like
row Of bricks they 60 on knocking
each other down. The American,
always fells his so as TO break a good
deal Of the upper branches Of the
trees. This the foreigner does not
dream Of. Next the foreigner goes
to work digging up the stumps, while
the other who does not miss the ground
they cover permits the stumps to rot
in their places. When the winter
comes one wants corn, while the 9TH
er has an abundance. Here tits not
considered that the most thorough
work is always best. There is
practical point beyond which there is
as much sacrifice as there is found in
the not reaching it. That the mel
low open deep-stirred earth holds and
retains more moisture than hard shall.
low ground, We all know. That
moisture is indispensable to the growth
oftrees and plants, is equally true;
and this is most easily gained by the