mode of guarding against the drought. "Spreading and ploughing in manure, hoeing often, exterminating every variety of weeds, irrigation where it is practicable, and keeping the ground light by deep ploughing on dry compact soils," says one. "For corn and potatoes, plough deep, and use the cultivator and hoe frequently, and keep the surface nearly level," says another. Another practical farmer answers, "Deep ploughing and good hoeing. Crops that have been hoed the most have stood the drought the best." Another successful farmer says, "Plant on swamp, or moist land well drained, if you have such; if not, plough deep on high land. If the uncultivated swamp and bog lands were cleared and appropriated to agricultural purposes, droughts like the one of the present season might not be feared. Massachusetts farmers have yet to learn that the most valuable lands are now neglected."

"I should say, first of all, deep and thorough ploughing, well manuring, by spreading and ploughing in, as a general rule, and frequently stirring the soil," says a Berkshire farmer of great experience. And the return of a farmer's club of Middlesex, says, in answer to the second question of the circular, "It is now a practice with us to plough deeper than heretofore. Mr. C. ploughs three or four inches deep. F. ploughs on precisely the same kind of land, a stone wall only separating the fields, nine inches deep. F.'s oats weighed thirty pounds per bushel, while C.'s weighed but seventeen pounds; both manured alike. C.'s corn dried up, while F.'s was green and luxuriant."

There is, indeed, but little difference of opinion on the second question of the circular, respecting the effect of droughts on deep and shallow ploughed lands, and few extracts need be given to establish the fact, that the crops on deeply ploughed lands have suffered much less than on shallow ploughed. One farmer of great observation in Essex County says: "The injury to shallow ploughed lands has been much greater than to those deeply ploughed, especially where the soil was well pulverized, as is done by the Michigan sod and subsoil plough; we look upon this as one of the most valuable implements in the field. No farmer should be without one. It will more than pay for itself the first season."

The same testimony is given by a farmer of Worcester

County in the following words: "My experience and observation are confined to light soils, plains, so called; and I find, whenever the ploughing has been increased in depth from year to year, with the view to improve the condition of the soil, the experiment has always proved successful. I have had a fine field of corn this year, on light soil, ploughed, as deep as I could well plough, with a double or Michigan plough."

From Berkshire we have the following: "It is, we are sure, an established fact, and one which must have fallen under the notice of every farmer, that deep ploughed and finely pulverized lands are less liable to the injuries of long continued droughts than lands ploughed shallow and left half tilled. The observations, not only of the last year, but of former years of excessive dryness, have shown this to be the case most conclusively. Reason teaches the same fact. The more open or porous any substance is the more readily it will absorb moisture."

A farmer of Plymouth County says, "Deep ploughing is favorable to retention of moisture in the soil, and shallow ploughed and scantily tilled fields are the first to suffer by droughts."

Another practical farmer in Worcester County writes, "The drought has affected deep ploughed lands but very little; on those that have been faithfully subsoiled, the corn leaves did not roll at all; while on those that were shallow ploughed, the crop suffered much; other crops have been seriously affected."

Another successful farmer says, "The effects of the drought on lands ploughed one foot deep are about the same as on those ploughed eight inches deep. Land ploughed five inches deep is more affected than that ploughed eight inches; so that less than eight inches is too shallow, and more than that of but little use."

Another farmer of Worcester County says, "Thorough ploughing, high manuring, and clean and frequent hoeing, and stirring the land so as to keep it light and free from weeds in all tillage land. On mowing land, spread compost and plaster freely; and on orcharding, plough among and dig around trees."

One more extract will suffice to show the general impression

on this subject. An intelligent farmer of Bristol County says, "Plough deep, and thoroughly pulverize the soil, and in the after cultivation keep the soil well stirred with the hoe, cultivator, plough, or any other tool best adapted to the nature of the crop."

The returns received show most conclusively that the farmers of Massachusetts, in general, fully appreciate the importance of deep ploughing, notwithstanding the example set them by the societies in offering premiums for ploughing five, six and seven inches with single teams, and nine with double. Many of the writers also advise the gradual deepening of the soil, by ploughing a little deeper every year. The process is made thus gradual to avoid bringing up to the surface too much of the subsoil at one time, as, until it has been a year or two exposed to the air, this subsoil may have a deleterious effect on the crop. It may be said, in general, that deep ploughing is proper on all rich arable soils, and on all soils where the subsoil is as rich as the surface, or nearly so. In these cases, on most alluvial soils, the action of the Michigan or double mould-board plough has been greatly and justly admired.

But this is not the place to discuss the question as to what constitutes deep ploughing. The subject has been treated elsewhere, and by the ablest practical and scientific farmers. It may be said, however, in passing what is already well known, that the depth of ploughing depends much on the character of the soil, and that no judicious cultivator would plough to an equal depth in sand and clay. "Make heavy land lighter, and light land heavier," is a maxim the soundness of which has never been disputed.

There is also another practice which deserves notice in this connection. It was formerly the custom to put all the manure in the hill. Experience, however, which is always the best, though sometimes the dearest, teacher, led some to the conclusion that it was better to spread it and plough it in. The question proposed in the circular was, What has been the comparative effect of the drought on lands where the manure was spread and ploughed in, and on those where it was put in the hill?

Nearly every answer to this question has been in favor of

spreading the manure. One practical and observing farmer of Berkshire says, "The crops on lands where the manure was ploughed in were much better than where it was put in the hill. On a field containing twelve acres, I spread over twenty ox cart loads of green barn-yard manure, and ploughed it under, covering the manure about five inches deep. On half of the field I used rotted yard manure in the bill, and on the other half ashes and plaster in the hill; and I judge the yield per acre, in favor of the ashes, is full one-third greater than where the manure was put in the hill. The same is true of other fields which I have noticed."

The same view was taken by a writer in Barnstable County, who says, "It is the general practice with us, when manure is used for the corn crop, to plough it in. One of our farmers, on a field of heavy land, ploughed in the manure on one-half of the field, and manured in the hill the remainder. We saw a dif ference in yield. Our conviction is decidedly averse to placing manure in the hill on dry soils; and, during the present season, manure on such soils has proved an injury."

The testimony on this subject is uniformly in favor of spreading and ploughing in the manure. I give a few more extracts. The first is from the statement of a farmer of Hampshire County: "On lands where the manure was ploughed in, not only on my own farm, but also on those within my knowledge, crops have been decidedly the best. On one field of corn I suffered much, in consequence of putting manure in the hill. One of my neighbors has for years ploughed his manure under, although reluctant to believe it best. I have finally come to the conclusion that to plough in manure is always preferable. for a corn crop."

Another, in Plymouth County, writes as follows: "In years past, I was in the habit of putting my manure in the hill; but for two or three years past I have ploughed the most of it in, and put a small quantity of fine manure in the hill. I am sensible that I get better crops, and the land is less exhausted, and in a better state to produce a subsequent crop of grain or grass."

The practice of spreading a part of the manure, and putting a part in the hill, has proved successful in many cases; but

where the object is to guard against drought, it is found best to spread and plough in the whole. Except in seasons like the past, however, many seeds will be benefited by some stimulus in the hill.

We have, then, these modes of avoiding or diminishing the effects of droughts like that of the past season. I. To pay more attention to the cultivation of low, swampy lands, first draining and thoroughly reclaiming them. II. To irrigate wherever it is practicable; and where this method is adopted, the land should always be carefully drained and properly prepared, so that the water may run off, otherwise it will grow stagnant and do much injury. III. To plough deep; spread and plough in the manure rather than put it in the hill; stir the ground very often with the hoe, cultivator, plough, or some other suitable implement; and IV., for trees and shrubs, to mulch with hay, straw, tan, &c., which, in the country, may be removed in winter, to prevent the attacks of mice upon the bark.

It may be well, however, to speak a little more at large upon the importance of stirring the soil often, as it cannot be denied that there is some difference of opinion in regard to it. All know that dew is formed much more freely on some surfaces than on others; and hard surfaces, like a beaten road or a gravel walk, gather far less dew than porous or grassy surfaces. Tufts of wool or hair, or the gossamer threads of the spider, collect moisture very readily; so does the grass; and so do all porous surfaces which have the power of readily giving off heat. Hence the importance of very frequent stirring of the surface, in times of drought, as we thus secure all possible good influence from the dew and moisture of the atmosphere.

But some may suppose that, as the soil is stirred and loosened, the evaporation will be greater, on account of the greater amount of surface exposed to the air. This is, to some extent, true. The evaporation from the surface of the earth, and from water, is rapid and constant during our hot summer days. The amount of moisture sent up from a soil which had just been saturated was found by careful experiment in France, in the month of August, and with the temperature ranging from 73° to 75° Fahr., to be as follows: