1. Whether worms are not often found, at the roots of healthy grain?

2. Whether the smut ball consists of vegetable earth, as Mr. Somerville supposes, or whether it is not rather the milky substance of the infant grain, carbonized by the heat of the sun, and converted into a kind of charcoal?

3. Whether sound wheat, on which no stable manure had been applied, be wholly exempt from the smut?

4. As stable manure tends to infest green crops with insects and weeds, whether it may not be divested of that property, by undergoing a previous putrefactive fermentation, and afterwards, by being incorporated into a compost, with an equal portion of quick lime, as has been mentioned?

Should smut be found, where no vestige of worms or insects can be discovered by a powerful microscope; or mildew, without any trace of parasitical fungus, it will afford reason to suspect, that these supposed causes of the respective diseases, were rather the effects, or only adventitious circumstances, and that a more close scrutiny will still be necessary, to afford complete satisfaction to philosophers. For instances of mildew have been noticed, where no stable manure had been used.*

As the proposed methods of prevention are applicable to both maladies, it now will rest with agriculturists to determine the points in question, by attentive observation and accurate experiments, agreeably to what has been suggested. For whatever may be the result, truth ought to be the principal object of our researches.

* Board of Agriculture. Vol. 4. p. 399.

Having conducted this essay, solely with that view, and directed the scattered rays of light on the principal objects of inquiry, the prosecution of the subject, it is presumed, will now, be rendered more easy to experi. mental agriculturists. But since microscopical insects and parasitical germs, in their infant state, are invisible to the naked eye, and the diseases, apparently produced by them, seldom discovered till the mischief be done, farmers ought to be extremely vigilant, in the timely application of the most rational means of prevention: Whether they adopt the present plan, or any other course of experiments, they are requested to favour the Society annually, with the result of their observations.

If the preceding pages should put them on their guard against drawing hasty conclusions, from fallacious appearances, and facilitate the experimental inquiry proposed, on a subject so interesting to the country, the author will think his labour has been well bestowed.

Substitute for Trench Ploughing, and new Mode of putting in Winter Grain, and on live Fences. By Caleb Kirk, near York, Pennsylvania.

Read Nov'r. 11th and Dec'r. 9th, 1806.

I observe in the United States Gazette, sundry premiums offered for improvements in agriculture; among which the 2nd and 7th subjects, viz. Trench ploughing, and live fences, have engaged my attention for a number of years. As to trench ploughing, I am fully of the opinion that 12 inches is a depth, too great to bury a scanty soil, except the farmer, has a great store of manure to dress his field after ploughing. Moreover as few farmers have six able work horses or oxen, the paring and trench ploughs, which are directed by the society to be in action at the same time, cannot be employed; besides, I know from my own experience, during seven years, that equal benefit may be derived from the adoption of another mode of working land, as from trench ploughing, without requiring more than half the number of horses.

In the first place, coulter the ground with a coulter plough drawn by two horses, about eight or ten inches deep, the cuts being about one foot apart: then plough the land in an opposite direction, with a common bar share plough with two horses to about the same depth, and let a man follow in the furrow with a narrow spade plough, three inches broad and drawn by one horse, to break the under stratum four or six inches deep. Thus the surface is turned eight or ten inches deep, and the ground effectually loosened from 12 to 16 inches deep. This practice I esteem more advantageous, than that of burying the old soil to the same depth by trench ploughing, does not require more than three horses, and may be adopted in any soil however dry, provided it is not too stony or stumpy. It has been particularly practised by me for the last seven years, when the ground is hard and dry in summer, or the sward very tough.

For wheat, I prepare my ground as if it were to be seeded in the common way (with a bar share plough;) the ground being harrowed smooth, it is then ploughed with the shovel plough, the shovel of which is 15 inches long, and about 13 inches broad at top, rounding off to an obtuse point. With this I make about ten cuts in the breadth of a rod, not ploughing it in lands, but going along one side of the field, with one horse in the furrow, and returning on the same side of the land or field, with the off horse in the furrow, thus forming one ridge: then going with the near horse in the last made furrow, another ridge is formed, and so on till the field is ploughed. Thus every ridge or row will go from end to end of the field, which will seldom be the case, if the field be marked out in lands, and then ploughed by going on one edge of the land, and returning on the other, as there is often some small difference in the width of the land, near the finishing, which might make two furrows run into one, and not be so plain a guide. to the reapers: and as the shovel plough throws the mould on both sides alike, the ridges will be as fair one way, as the other.

The cuts or furrows will appear about six or eight inches deep, with a sharp ridge between them. I then sow broad cast, and harrow in the direction of the fur

rows.*

Grain sown in this manner has many advantages. The plants stand handsomely in rows, which are a sufficient guide for the reapers, and for sowing clover seed, or gypsum; and the whole field being in one entire land, there is less ground lost, than when made in ridges; the ground, moreover, is less liable to wash, and the surface is handsomer for mowing than in the common way. A little fine mould, generally rolls into the furrow behind the shovel, which makes an excellent bed for the grains of wheat to push out their roots in, and the harrow resting on the ridges, levels them, and throws a proper portion of mould on the grain, nearly as light as if it were riddled. Thus the ground is levelled, but the soil being lighter in the rows where the seed lies, it will settle a little, and the plants being somewhat below the general surface, they are not so subject to injury, by

*The annexed cuts will explain the difference between the common ploughing, and the new mode.

Common Ploughing.

New Mode.