On Ridge-and-Furroio Pasture Land. 329 



ino^ of half the soil originally taken from them. This may be 

 done any time durinfi: the winter, and the rougher it is thrown on 

 the better. In the dry weather of March, let this soil be rolled 

 and bush-harrowed up and down the furrow. The herbage soon 

 gets through it, and comes up with the utmost luxuriance. In 

 two summers the soil will have entirely disappeared in the 

 furrows, and the grass have acquired a deep fresh greenness that 

 shows how the heavy dressing of soil has refreshed it : that on 

 the ridge being equally benefited by the under-digging. 



Leaving it, tlien, for a couple of summers or more, according 

 to discretion, proceed the following or any succeeding winter in 

 the same manner with the alternate ridges that remain. The 

 field is then level ; the whole of the soil in its original place, 

 from which it was formerly removed by the plough ; and the 

 whole of the pasture refreshed to a degree which, independently 

 of the object of levelling, exhibits the two gi-eatest improve- 

 ments of which old turf-land is susceptible, namely, under-digging 

 and top-dressing with soil. 



Before I come to the question of expense (which will have 

 appeared greater than it really is in practice, from the necessary 

 length and minuteness of a description detailed enough to work 

 by), let me just say that the work may be done in the same time, 

 and witli still better effect, if instead of the alternate furrows 

 every fourth furrow be in the first year operated upon, and the 

 soil cast over two furrows on each side instead of one, thus 

 lightening the dressing, and not endangering the least smothering 

 of the grass, or lateness of herbage. Every winter, or every 

 alternate winter, the remaining ridges may be proceeded with ; 

 so that the mean level of the field may be attained by a process 

 of top-dressing suited to the circumstances, and less costly than 

 that so commonly seen of hauling soil from considerable distances, 

 making and turning it in " buries," and recarting it over the field. 



In this latter plan, the spade-work is employed upon only one 

 eiglith. part of every acre in each year, or each alternate year ; 

 the ridges disappearing gradually, and those that remain appearing 

 less and less elevated as the dressings of soil gradually raise all 

 the adjacent furrov/s. In adopting the latter course I have found 

 it lighten the work if the spadesman throw the heavier dressing 

 upon the nearer furrow, casting only every third spadeful upon 

 the further one. When he comes to do the intermediate (alter- 

 nate) ridge, the following winter, he adjusts the proportion by 

 doing the same again, two spadefuls falling this time where the 

 one lell before. 



And now, in approaching the important question of cost, let 

 me premise that, in order to reduce the ridges of a field to its 

 mean level, a much less quantity of S(jil is actually required to be 



