The Portland daily press., 1879-06-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Deep and Shallow Plowlng.


1t is an cid and true saying that circum-
stances alter cases, and there is nothing to
which it applies with greater force than to
the question of deep or shallow plowing 1t
is question which has been much discussed
among farmers, one upon which there has
been great diversity of opinion and yet it
is one which every farmer must settle for
himself. A few years ago extreme deep
plOwing was strongly advocated by the agri-
cultural press, and many went so far as to
insist upon a depth of ten inches or foot
for all soils. The result was what ought to
have been expected; ON some lands it worked
admirably, while other fields were nearly
spoiled for present use. So far as the aver
age of New England soils is concerned, this
dogma was the greatest nonsense and farmers
were not long in finding it out The eX-
treme depth advocated then has proved too
much even for the prairie soils of the west
where extreme deep blowing has gone out of
fashion.
We believe in deep plowing, when circum-
stances will admit Of it, but almost every
thing depends upon the nature of the soil.
Most certainly. deep blowing will net do
when q basin is formed below certain line
in which water will settle and remain until
it can escape by evaporation. The result in
such cases must be poor crops, much poorer
than if such land were plowed shallow.
Drainage is what such soil needs and then
the plow can be put down with impunity.
Another condition which will not admit of
deep plowing is when the soil is thin and the
subsoil is gravelly and worthless. This con-
dition, however, is susceptible Of being i'm
proved upon, for by thorough system Of
subsoiling ald manuring the depth of the
soil and its producing capacity can be great
ly increased. Not every farmer is able,
either for lack of foam or 1rncSipr botb
to treat his shallow soils in this way. and
unless it can be done, shallow ploWing is
lluch the best.
There is some land where the surface and
subsoils do not materially differ; such are
deep clay loans and soils formed by deep
deposit of alluvian. \ good example of the
former may be found in Aroostook, on the
Kennebec river, and other places, and Of the
latter on the broad belts of internal or bot
tom lands which are found on the Andros-
coggin. In such soils the plow may run
deep and the effect will be to bring to the
surface and to the favorable action Of the
rain, air and sunshine, those elements of
fertility which have heretofore been beyond
the reach of the plant. Such land when
plowed deeply, will stand drouth much
better than when plowed shallow, because
the roots can penetate into the suhsoil where
they will find moisture long after the sur
face has become dry and parched.
Il should be remembered that it will take
double the dressing to fertilize land that is
plowed to the depth Of a foot than when it
is plowed six inches, and the converse is
likewise true that when we plow only five
inches We exhaust the soil in half the time
that we do when we plow ten inches deep,
but the mechanical improvements brought
about by deep plowing and thorough pulver-
izing, gives much more freedom and greater
feeding room to the roots of plants, and is
an advantage which should be taken into
account From this brief discussion Of the
question the following may be deduced
Wet lands should not be plowed deep until
they have been thoroughly drained. Thin
soils with a gravelly and worthless subsoil
should not be plowed deep with the expecta-
ton of present profit, but subsoiling and
heavy manuring for series of years will
greatly increase its capacity for crops, and
proportionally, the value of the land. For
present profit, such lands must be lightly
plowed. Deep clay loans and alluvial soils,
can be plowed deep and their fertility and
capacity will be thereby increased.