6o Journal oj A floriculture. Victoria. [lo Jan., 1911, 



best of grailin^;-. and tlu'sc are most etYwtiwly dealt with by the passage, 

 backwards and lorwai-ds across the whole of the field, of the smoother 

 durinj; the ImildiiiL;- of the rhec;ks. 



3^. LAND LOUVRE GRADER. 



Drawing No. 34 on page 61 will more clearly illustrate what is meant. It 

 indicates a lield marked out read}- for grading and making the checks when 

 the general grading is finished. To facilitate arriving at a final deter- 

 mination as to how the field shall be graded, level contour lines are drawn, 

 ^ ^ mostly at intervals of 3 inches 



\ qV ' 3^ ^ f ' T> change in elevation, and a 



-^\ — *- - \ — "• r graphic representation of the 



^ \ ^^ surface is obtained, from which 



^ ». ^ >" ^ ^^"'^ ^^y ^^ the land is obvious 



■ v- 



■< - A 



^ '^ _ J a^^ _ without reference to the figures. 



Where the lines approach 

 ^ \ ^ closely. there the fall is 



'^. r^ ^ -^ \ 3^ ^ ■>** quickest, and vice versa. These 



- i? - -. < -^ \ ^ - -\ — lines are located by a&suming 



'■ ^ \ \ that the surface inclination be- 



33. FALL, INDICATED BY ARROW HEADS. ^^^^^^'^ contiguous pegS is regu- 



lar and arrivmg at the position 

 proportionately. A little study of the drawing will make this apparent. 

 It is an assistance also in arriving at a conclusion to mark a serie.s of 

 arrow-heads along the dotted lines, in the direction of the fall. When 

 they do not continue in one direction, some earth must be removed until 

 they do. 



By starting with the smoother from the point A and working straight 

 towards B and returning over the same route, the whole surface is tra- 

 versed. The checks at XYZ are formed during the operation by picking 

 up a thin film of earth from the surface between the checks and depositing 

 it at the furrows. This film will be greater or less in places, according 

 to whatever slight irregularities of surface may remain, and the quantity 

 will be subject to the judgment of the grader. Upon the first passage 

 of the smoother from A to B the loads' deposited at XYZ will appear 

 as shown in No. 35, and upon the return journey the check will be com- 

 pleted and appear as in No. 36, and present no obstacle afterwards to the 

 passage of implements. 



The check can be made such height within limits as the operator may 

 think desirable, but as a general rule 6 inches is enough, and this after 

 a few irrigations and harvestings will consolidate to about 4 inches. 



Another advantage of making checks in this manner is that the whole 

 surface may be sown. Many people are in the habit of sowing first 



