1^4 Review of the New Farmer'' s Calendar, May 



plements, Mr Ducket's hand-hoe is mentioned, with which a 

 fervant of Lord Somerville is laid to have hoed one fifth of an 

 acre of barley, drilled at nine inches, in 36 minutes. To this 

 we anfvver, no7i credimus. In faft the hoer, if he performed fo 

 much, travelled nearly at the rate of four miles in the hour, 

 which is not amifs in a warm fummcr day, without hoeing at 

 all. If our readers will turn up the firll volume of the Maga- 

 zine, p. 253, they will obferve this hoeing feat decribed by our 

 friend, the FngUjh Tourijiy though not in fuch fanguine terms. 

 The kind of work that would be performed in fuch a rapid man- 

 lier, we leave pradlical farmers to determine. 



The remaining dilTertations are on fences — an woods and plantar 

 tions — on tillage, in which fummer-fallow is condemned to per- 

 petual baniii.ment — on the row culture — on courfe of crops — on 

 blight, milde'w , jTuut ^ Slc — on green crops — on mijcellaneous ar- 

 tides, fuch as potatoes, carrots, &:c. — on meadow and pajlure, 



4. The lafl part is devoted to the management of domellic 

 animals, Sec. Here we are better pleafed with what is commu- 

 nicated, than with the other parts of the work ; though what is 

 ilated feems to be in a great meafure abridged from another trea- 

 tiie to be aftewards noticed. Unleis it be on the topic of work- 

 ing oxen (^the hobby of every theorift), the author talks in a 

 rational manner; but we muft do him the juftice to acknowledge, 

 that he admits the necefTity of giving corn to oxen, which is 

 an idea, long familiar to us. Indeed, thofe who pretended to 

 work oxen regularly, without a corn feed, did not know what 

 they were about, and impofed only upon themfelvcs, while they 

 were attempting to impoie upon others. A large ox will barely 

 be kept in order, even when idle, if fupported only upon flraw 

 and a little hay ; but put him to the yoke, and drive him at a 

 pace required to plough an Englifii acre per day, the poor ani- 

 mal will be knocked up in a month. We feel much inclined to 

 maintain, that a horfe may be fupported at lefs expence than an 

 ox under fimilar circumlf ances ; that is to fay, if the quantity 

 and quality of work, performed by each, be rendered equal. At 

 leall we know, that if a poor horfe, and a poor ox, are put to 

 pafture in the fame day, that the hoile will take on fat more 

 readily than the ox. 



Having thus given an analyfis of the work, and made fome 

 pafling remarks, we proceed to examine a few of the author's 

 opinions upon what may juflly be viewed as the leading points 

 of rural practice. Thefe, confeffedly are, the moft effe(EVual way 

 of cleaning the ground, and the mode in which it fhould after- 

 wards be cropped. In thel'e branches of practice the new and 

 old hulbandry differ widely. 



We begin with ihe fe£tion on tillage, thoilgh it is necef- 



lary. 



