The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1847-03-09

vegetation has considerably started, as it
would decompose sooner under such cir
cumstances, and the gasses seemed to be
evolved in a manner most conducive TO
growing crops.
Judge CHEEvER, Vice President Of the
State Society, remarked that the plough
was a very important implement in agrl-
culture, as remarked by MIR. ii. The
construction of the plough was a matter
of importance. A different construction
was necessary was necessary in the
plough used for sward land and in old
land which had been broken up. The
angle of the mould board should be less
for sod land than for other; thus care
should be taken not to increase the angle
SO as to prevent toe plough from clogging.
No plough could do good work that did
not clear itself. The object of the plough
was to break Up the land, and bring the
soil in reach Of the plants. Many plough
as deep i'll breaking up as afterwards,
though his practice was different. He
would not plough deep in sod land, no
matter what the soil was, but afterwards
lower, SC as to keep up the nutriment
from decomposed sod. As to the depth
and width of the furrow, Judge G. remar-
ked, the narrower, the lurrow slice the
better. The ground was more easily
pulverized. Prairie lands said to be
ploughed three feet, and corn planted be-
tween the burrows. If sod is turned on
English couch grass, with wide burrows,
you might almost as we'll expect a crop
on a bulls hide. In both cases the sod is
inverted-but the narrow slice sooner
preRares the soil for the seed. Not of so
much importance on old land. The
depth of the furrow must depend on cir
c~umstances. In sandy land, where there
is a yellow sand for subsoil, tkis should
be visited as little as possible. Clay soils
are full of fertilizing matter, and WHARF
the surface is constantly worked and We
getable power exhausted, good ~husbandry
requires to plough deeper. He had seen
on exhausted clay lands, at a single
ploughing of 3 inches deeper than usual,
crops nearly doubled. Virgin clay fur
nished a new material, of fertillzinS prin-
ciple. So olso in muck and %alluvial
lands-plough deep and deeper as long
as fertlizing matter remains. The depth,
however, must depend on the judgment
of the %ploughman, and upon circumstan-
ces. Judge G.. said he had not any ex-
perience as to the subsoil plough, but he
had no doubt of its value. A gentleman
of his acquaintance informed him that he
had succeeded well with it on sandy lands
with yellow land as subsoil. The land
was full of water courses which let off the
rains, and by using the subsoil plough,
these courses were broken up and cut a
way. This is a fact in engineering, when,
by digging. often the character Of the soil
is changed; sell becomes frequently tight
which was naturally porous.
The object of blowers is not effected
until the soil is completely pulverized-
on clay, the drag and harrow must FOLLOW
then the roller is indispensable in tena-
clous soils to successful cultivation-it
shuOld not be used last, but should be fol-
lowed with the harrow. Ii the clay Jumps
are left without being crushed by the roll
Ter, they remained as impervious to water
as paving stones. The roller is useful in
all crops on a stubborn soil. judge c..
extended his remarks also OH the manner
OF blowing in blowing in manures. Good
judgment required that il should not be
sent down so that the rain would not find
1t. Manure spread on sod land and
plowed deep looses most of its effects
If plowed in at all, plough light. On
wheat crop, at first blowing light-after-
wards deeper-or, place it on the land af-
ter Plowinga nd drag it in. We want the
manure where the roots Of the plants will
receive the benefit of it.
Hon. Mr.. WOODBURY. (of the Assem-
BILE, from Wyoming) remarked that his
experience was in favor of deep plough
ing. He had become possessed of a farm
where field had been cultivated for I6
years In succession: crops poor; oats not
two feet high. The land was nearly lev
ell and a gravelly loan. He plowed if
from 8 to 10 inches deep-and sowed il
with wheat, and had a small crop Of 10
bushels. He pastured it three years with
sheePs alter sowing clover, and then
sowed wheat again, and had II bushels
per acre. and expects the next crop will
be 20 bushels. A former ~nelghbor of his
IN the central part of the county, purcha-
sed a piece of land some years since,
which the owner. had cultivated on the
principle of shallow blowing, and had
planted it with corn, which was so sim
ted in its growth, that in cutting il up near
the ground many of the ears were cut in
two and the soil, from the appearance of
the corn, appeared to be incapable of pro-
ducing a crop.
The purchaser commenced eultivatino
the fields by ploughing. and the result
was a crop of corn the first season. aver