The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-04-17
Agricultural. A
DEEP pLoUGHING.

| hHr AhSnSuhS uiuCio ioui oiuiho
Try and subsoil ploughing, in this-tha
| its special object is to bring to the SUI
face, and TO mix with the upper soil,
portion of tina! which has lain long at
considerable depth, and has been NOR
or less undisturbed.
The benefit 81 such an admixture @
| fresh soil, is in many localities undoubt
ed, while in others, the practical farme
is decidedly opposed to it. On wha
principle does its beneficial action de
lpend, and in what circumstances is i
likely to be attended with disadvan
tage?
1. 1t is known that, when a heavy
shower of rain falls, 1t sinks into thu
soil, and carries down with it sucI
readily soluble substance as il meet!
with on the surface. Other substances
also. which are more sparingly soluble
slowly & gradually find their way into
the subsoil, and there more or less per
manently remain. Among these may
be reckoned gypsum, and especially
those silicates of potash and soda, Sc
useful to grainbearing plants. Such
substances as these, naturally accumu-
late beyond the reach of the ordinary
plough. Insoluble substances likewise
slowly sink. Thisis well known to be
the case with lime, when laid upon or
ploughed into land. So it is with clay,
when mixed with a surface soil of sand
or peat. They all descend till they
get beyond the reach of the common
plough. Thus it happens that after the
surface soil becomes exhausted of one
or other Of these inorganic compounds.
which the crops require, an ample sup
| ply of it may still be present in the
subsoil, though, until turned up. unvail-
able for the promotion of vegetable
growth.
There can be little question, think
that the greater success which attends
the introduction of new impIiments IN
the hands Of better instructed men,
upon farms long held in arabic culture,
is to be ascribed in part to this cause.
One tenant, during long lease, has
been IN the habit Of poughing 10 a
depth of three, or at most. perhaps,
four inches--and from this surface The
crops he has planted, have derived
their chef supplies of inorganic food.
He has lined his land in the customary
manner, and has laid upon it all the
manure he could raise, but his crops
have been usually Indifferent, and he
considers the land of comparatively
little value. But another tenant comes
and with better implements turns up
the land to depth of seven or eight
inches. He thus brings to the surface
the lime and the accumulated manures,
which have naturally sunk, and which
his predecessor had perlnitted year
after year, to bury themselves in his
subsoil. He thus has a new, often a
rich, and almost always virgin soil to |
work upon.-one which, from being
long buried, may require winters
exposure and mellowing in the air. but
which, in most cases. is sure to repay |
him for any extra cost.
Again, lis known that some districts,
for reasons perhaps not well Under
stood, are more infested than others.
with insects that attack the com or
other crops. These insects, their eggs. |
or their larvae, generally bury them
selves in the undlsturbed soil, immedi-
ately beyond the ordinary reach of the
plough. If they remain wholly undis-
turbed during the preparation of the
soil, some species remain in dormant
state, and the subsequent crop may, in
a great measure, escape. Plough the
and deeper than usual, and you bring
them all to the surface. DO this in the
autumn, and leave your land unsown,
md the frost of winter may kill the
greater part, so that the crops may
grow in safety. But let this
leep ploughing be done in the spring,
md you bring all these insects within
he reach Of the earl sun, and thus call
hem TO life in such numbers, as almost
o insure the destruction Of your COM
nc crops Johnston's Lectures.
HESSIAN FLY,