Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-11-29
Mistetia,ttens.
DEEP pLoUenIyG AND sUB.soILIsG.

Experience is the great teacher in farm
ing. Without it, successful agriculture is
almost impossible. With it we can make .
our business profitable and our lands pro-
ductive. Past experience teaches us that
deep ploughng is absolutely necessary on
almost every farm, in order to get the
highest profit from the soil. The reasons
for this are plain to every practical farmer;
but as some of our readers may not have
considered the subject in all its bearings,
we present the advantages of deep plough
ing. First: the space in depth to which
the roots of all crops penetrate, and from
which they derive nourishment. is limited
chiefly by the extent to which the plough
has run. Beneath that point, especially
in clay soils, the roots make but little
progress. Second: the unbroken sub-sOil
when composed of clay, is not easily pen
etrated by rain. Hence. after the plough
ed soil has become saturated, the surplus
water escapes from the surface, often ear
rying off valuable portions of fertility.
Deep ploughing prevents this washing
away of the surface. Third a deeply
broken soil is "a store-house for moisture,
holding portion always in reserve for
periods of drought When the sun, the
air, and the growing crop have taken up
the surface moisture, some OF the roots are
deep down in the earth, where the supply
is abundant. Again, this moisture from
below constantly rises toward the top dur
ing drought, by capillary attraction. 1t
also brings with it some elements of fer
tility in solution, and as the evaporation
goes on, these much enrich the surface
sell
The above statement may be regarded
as scientific facts in agriculture. We have
seen farms that were run out" by thin,
shallow ploughing. The plantations of
the Southern States, from Virginia to the
Gulf, all exhibit the sad effects of shallow
cultivation. We have, also, frequently
seen farmers in the Middle and New Eng
land States whose fertility and productive
ness were reduced fifty per cent. by
ploughing thn-by merely scratching the
surface to the depth of only three or four
inches. The result of this evil practice is
Il regular aIsf systematic depreciation OF
the land with certain defamation of
crops every year. The late Professor
Mapes, one Of the most scholarly and
practical of American agriculturists, was
an advocate of deep ploughing; and his
own estate, in New Jersey, is to-day an
evidence of the correctness of deep culti-
walton. He doubled the value of his land
and more than doubled his annual crops,
by ploughing deep.
Sub-soiing land-of which Mapes was
the pioneer in this country-is also of
great advantage. By this means the bot
tom of the furrow is thoroughly broken
and pulverized, without being turned up.
This being done, the surface plough then
throws its next furrow upon this loosened
portion of the sub-soil, and the sub-soil
plough following again, breaks another
portion and so the process is continued
till the whole field has its surface stirred
to depth which cannot ordinarily be
reached by any one plough operating
alone The benefits of sub-soiling are
similar to those of deep ploughing. 1t
opens up new source of fertility. for the
eub-soil always contains more or less of
mineral substances demanded by the
growing crop. 1t also gives deeper space
for the circulation and retention OF air
and moisture, which is "a perfect antidote
to drought. Again, if the soil is level,
and of such character as TO retain too
much OF the rainfall. then the newly
broken sub-soil lets it pass off more free
~ from the surface soil. On lands not
thoroughly drained, we presume the SUBJ
sold plough would not be of so great an
advantage.
Another peculiar benefit which sub-soil-
ing has over ordinary deep ploughing is
that it gives deeply .pulverized mass,
without exposing upon the surface that
portion which is often not adapted to most
crops. On tenacious clay, which some-
times forms hard crust, there would GER
tainly be no advantage in sub-soiling;
but for a majority of soils we would follow
the experience of Professor Mapes-we
should plough deep and sub-soil all land
adapted to thorough cultivation.