i tay 
3 _ B 
On Tough Sod, Star of Bethlehem, * and Blue Bottle. 
By Richard Peters Esq. 
Read March 13th, 1810. aia 
In the autumin of 1808, I wlohe my little trenichiea 
field, in which I raised the hemp (mentioned in our 
Memoirs, page 244,) from five to seven inches deep. 
The sod was_ tough; and the surface much bound. I 
treated it as I have been accustomed to deal with simi- 
lar soddy leys. I harrowed it frequently in the fall, and, 
in open weather, in the winter, in the direction of the 
furrows, to expose the garlick, and fill all openings ad- 
_Mitting too great influxes of air. ‘To close them, and 
consolidate the mass, I rolled it well; and thus it layed 
through the winter. The sprky-roller, an implement too 
little known or used in this country, and without which 
no farmer of heavy or clay lands can do justice to his 
husbandry, would have been the best for this operation ; 
though in light lands it is only occasionally required. 
Those who do not follow my ‘practice in old leys 
newly broken up, object to fall ploughing ; because, in 
the spring after fall ploughing, they cross-plough, and 
turn up the sod with all its pests and adhesion. This I 
never do, but harrow it well and often ; sometimes with 
a harrow, furnished with numerous hoes instead of tines, 
for my spring crop. I marked out the field.in squares 
for Indian corn, and planted at the usual time; not dis- 
turbing the sod, except in a small part of the field, here.- 
* Ornithogallum umbellatum. 
