On Trench Ploughing. 245 



acre ; and planted potatoes ; of which I had an abund- 

 ant crop. I sowed hemp, and plaistered it. In August, 

 of the same year (1789) I asked the same company ; 

 and they viewed, with surprize, my hemp. It was even, 

 thick, well grown, and seven feet high. The labour- 

 ers were then pulling it ; and these gentlemen, some 

 of whom were hemp farmers, declared they had never 

 seen a better grown, or finer crop, on their best lands. 

 I lost some of the hemp, by injudicious management ; 

 but had, I think, 2,500 weight. After the hemp, I sow- 

 ed wheat ; whereof I sold 110 bushels, heavy and ex- 

 cellent. Clover was sown on the winter gi'ain ; and I 

 cut luxuriant crops for several seasons. The field lay for 

 twelve years, without any other manure, save plaister ; 

 and threw up plentiful crops of grass. I ploughed it 

 four or five years ago, in the usual way. It produced, 

 with a slight dressing of well rotted compost and dung,* 

 a crop of wheat exceeding the former. It is now in 

 good heart ; but I intend ploughing it, the approach- 

 ing season. I have selected this little field, because the 

 facts relating to it, are most within my recollection. 



Ribbing, or bucking up furrows, in the fall of the 

 year of fallow crops, is highly useful. Every mode 

 should be practiced, which exposes surface to the in- 

 fluences of the atmosphere. No person should adven- 

 ture, extensively, on any new plan, without first making 



*Such manure throws up short straw and long, well filled, 

 and heavy heads. There is no greater mistake, than that of 

 ploughing in fresh dung for wheat. This always produces 

 smutty crops, and long stravr. It is not the less olijection- 

 able for having many advocates. 



