342 Letter from Lord SomervUle, Aug. 



would be of but little ufe here. It will, however, appear to be fervicc- 

 able in many cafes, fuch as d'gging dung, or compoft of lime and earth-— 

 angles of fields — where the plough has not room to aft — very deep 

 ground, not fo well fuited to the fpade—- foreheads (hcad-land>). This 

 praftlce is well underftood in the vale of Taunton, and recorded by Lifle, 

 €ven in his time, as an admirable praftice of long (landing there. (See 

 an account by the author, in Annals of Agriculture, 1798.) It willalfo 

 be found ufeful in hand-digging orchards aod plantations ; the young 

 trees of which will not only thrive better for firch treatment, but might 

 fupply abundant crops of potatoes to the proprietor and labourer. If, 

 in this cafe, the former finds land and manure, and the latter finds la- 

 bour, the crop may be divided between both ; but if no dreffing can 

 be afforded, the whole crop fliould be the labourer's, becaufe the land- 

 lord will derive an ample benefit from the improvement of his timber, 

 provided the crop be dug with care. The grafs of plantations feldora 

 turns to any account, nor is much good derived from that of orchards, 

 for it is of a cold and four nature, owing to the (hade ; and little profit 

 will ever be found in it as hay, unlefs fprinkled with fait. It is pro- 

 bable that orchards would derive as much benefit fron* the ufe of the hoe 

 as plantations. ' 



On the fame principle, Sir John Sinclair recommended, for 

 general adoption, the field fpade now ufed in Normandy, I- 

 taly, and in the fouth-weft counties of England. Its coni- 

 cal fhapc enables it to move ftone land far better than the broad 

 garden fpade ; its curved handle enables the workman to fland 

 upright and make it (the handle) a lever (of w^hich his knee, or 

 rather thigh, is the fulcrum) ; qualifies it to fpread abroad hme ; 

 and it is likewife admirably conftrudted for cleaning out the bot- 

 tom of wet ditches. 



You win now fee, that thefe hand-hoes were recommended, 

 not to fuperfede the horfe-hoes, but to -.lO: where they could not 

 be applied. On my own farms, I fhould be forry to yield to any 

 of ygur numerous readers in the ufe of the horfe-hoe, either as 

 to expedition or neatnefs of work. All that is in any degree level 

 of furface, provided the foil works free, and is loamy, we drill j 

 where the land is ilecp, or the foil heavy, we broadcaft. 



The drilled wheats we horfe-hoe twice, the barleys twice alfo, 

 before the graffes are fown broadcaft and brufhed in. The peas, 

 drilled at 15 inches intervals, are horfe-hoed thrice, bcfides hand- 

 hoeing the rows. 



You will therefore ceafe to think me an enemy to the horfe- 

 Iioe, where with convenience and profit it may be worked. We 

 will proceed to fay a few words on another fubjecl. 



On the great queftion of working oxen, I am defirous tliat we 

 fliould alfo come to a right underftanding •, and I trufl that, 

 although my opinions may dilTer from yours, you will do me 



the 



