Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-06-11

iaco, with which | have been familiar for
eighteen years, that when our operations
first begun upon ii, the soil was not over
three inches deep We have been getting
down little ly little, till now we have a soil
that is from IL to l6 inches in depth, and
all alike in color and fertility. The longer
farm the more importance attach 10 me
blow. All fine tiagc depends ON II. we
plough in the fall, leaving the surface in
ridges. Then we 90 twice over the surface
in the spring. We have not gone down
enough as yet. | shall not cease the use OF
deep or subsoil plows till have reached the
depth of eighteen inches.
A. S. FULLRR.-Can we not take a lesson
from garden culture? Now, what gardener
thinks he has soil on which he can depend
till he has carried his spade to a depth of
two feet? Even for such plants rs the rose
he wants deep soil. Others coming into q
nourishing garden, and seeing n,arvels OF
thrift and beauty, say the gardener has some
secret which he won't impart. Mr.. Chair
man, believe every gardener and small
| fruit culturist will sustain me in saying, we
have no secrets in our craft. All we do is
what YOU can do, and all can do-plough or
spade deep, and enrich the earth till it is as
| fine and dark two feet down as most fields
| are for six inches.
| N. c. Mceker.-We cannot give a rule on
this subject that will suit all parts OF the
country. In some parts of the West they
spaded and ploughcd very deep at first for
| grapes. hut now they have given that up,
finding that moderate depth, OF say ten in
ches, makes the most healthtui and most
| productive vine.
Mr.. I.awton--This is question of time
and place. On my farm, where there is Il
hard sub soil, ! find it profitable 70 50 two
feet deep But the practice that ilnd best
may not answer in all localities
Dr. Trimblc-l agree with the last speak
or. For instance. last fall Dr. Smith was
my companion ms we visited the southwest
crn part OF New Jersey, in Salem county
think he will agree with me, that he neyel
saw in this country any better farms, any
more careful. thorough, profitable tillag'
than among the QuakcrS of the lower lleia
, ware. We asked them particularly abou
, the depth of blowing. They said that year
ago they sunk the share deep, but of lat
had found no advantage from the practice
Now they are content with ten inches.
i hope Mr. Greeley will, in his travels. 2,
down among those warm-hcarted, sound
headed old Quakers. They would be gla,
TO see him: they would treat him mos
: kindly, and he would see one region il
| which his ideas are not practicable. The
have h porous sub-sol, easily penetrated y
the roots of plants, and we have no rcaso
0 to suppose that very deep blowing woul
do any good-so at least they have found b
! many years experience. Those fields hay
:, been under the plow ever since the days {
William Penn.
n The Chairman-As sort Of summary
1t this discussion on deep tillage, which hi
s been before the club for several weeks,
think we might recommend to the farmers
/ all parts of the country to plough deep
le and deeper every year, using manlre
proportion to the amount of sterile sub-st
y, exposed Then when the depth beyol
y which it does not pay to 20 has been reae
le ed we invite farmers to report to US Al
I'll describe the nature Of the soil and sub sol