160 THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



pay the projectors. Double-moulded ploughs are used for drill- 

 ing land and earthing up green crops ; and a small one-horse 

 grubber is used for weeding. Dickson's patent harrow is used 

 for turnips before thinning. Hay is cut with mowers, especially 

 those made by Wood, Wallace, and Kemp ; and it is collected 

 into windrows with horse rakes. For cutting grain the reapers 

 made by Kemp, Harrison & M'Gregor, and Wallace are used. 

 Hay and corn are conveyed in the common Scotch cart, with 

 wooden harvest frame ; and some harvest carts are used, of light 

 make, weighing about 7 cwt. These are very convenient for 

 taking the crop off the land. Implements are used for lifting 

 potatoes ; and there are a few turnip-lifters in the county, but 

 they are not in general use. 



On the carse near Falkirk the Scotch plough is chiefiy used, 

 and in some cases the single furrow wheel plough is used in the 

 autumn and winter, being a very suitable implement for a learner 

 to use. The double-furrow ploughs are discarded, and grabbers 

 are not much used ; but the land is ploughed and then broken 

 up with heavy break harrows drawn by three and sometimes 

 four horses. The usual stone and metal rollers are used, and on 

 some farms the Norwegian harrows. Machines are not generally 

 used for sowing grain except beans, which are, in some cases, 

 drilled with a bean harrow every second furrow, or a drill every 

 20 inches. This allows the horse hoe to pass between the drills, 

 and is considered by some to give the beans more air for podding. 

 Others are of opinion that the preferable way is to sow beans 

 broadcast with the hand. Turnips are thinned with the hand 

 hoe. Hay is generally cut with the combined reaper and mower, 

 but some have a mower for the hay alone. No tedding machines 

 are used, as it is considered best to keep the hay as whole as pos- 

 sible. Grain crops are all cut with reaping machines, except in 

 the case of isolated patches which have got so twisted as to be un- 

 manageable for the machine. In the case of wheat such portions 

 are cut with the sickle, but if barley or oats it is cut with the 

 scythe. No binding machines are used. Beans are cut with the 

 side self -delivering machine, which is thought to be a saving, as 

 the sheaves need not be touched till they are ready for binding: 

 others have them cut with manual-delivery machines, and liave 

 the sheaves lifted to one side. 



Boads — Fences — Tillctge Operations — Succession of CroiJS — 



Manures. 



Facilities for communication by road, rail, or canal are abun- 

 dant in all parts of the county. There are about 116 miles of 

 what were turnpike roads, besides others, which are better 

 kept since the Eoad Act was adopted. Fences vary in different 

 districts. In the carse there are few fences, except sometimes 



