HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 417 



the plants, at the angles where the tracts of the tines cross each 

 other. 



The turf being spread, women and children are then employed 

 to place or plant the turf, one piece in each intersection formed 

 by the tracts of the scarifier ; and with the foot or a wooden ram- 

 mer, having a broad end to correspond with the size of the piece 

 of turf, the plants or turf is pressed into the soil. One acre of 

 turf divided in pieces, and placed as before described, will plant 

 nine acres of arable land, as will appear from the following cal- 

 culation : — 



Suppose one acre of turf cut into pieces of three inches square, 

 it will produce 696,960 plants, or pieces of turf. 



One acre of arable land, marked out in squares of nine inches 

 to the side of the square, or eighty-one square inches, and one 

 plant to each square, will require 77,440 plants : consequently, 

 one acre of turf will plant nine acres of arable land ; each plant 

 will stand six inches apart, and occupy a space of nine square 

 inches, the blanks in each square being seventy-two square inches, 

 to be filled up by the future growth of the plants. 



Mr. Blakie farther observes, that although this is the most 

 common, and judged to be the most proper size for the plants, 

 and distance for them to be set apart, yet it may not always be 

 convenient to allow so large a proportion of turf for plants to the 

 acre. In that case, either the plants may be reduced or the dis- 

 tances apart extended. 



The process for the second case, or when the field from which 

 the turf is to be taken for transplanting is intended to remain in 

 permanent pasture, is as follows : — the gauge of the paring plough 

 may be set at nine inches, as before directed, but the wing of the 

 share should be turned up at six inches, and, being made very 

 sharp, will cut the turf on that side, while the coulter (also made 

 sharp) will cut the turf on the other side ; and the flat of the share 

 will turn the turf out six inches wide, leaving ribs of grass three 

 inches wide uncut. The cut turf being removed, the plough, set 

 at the same gauge, is then drawn across the field, at right angles, 

 to its former direction, and cross-cutting the uncut ribs of grass, 

 will leave patches of grass three inches square in each angle, con- 

 sequently the same number of plants to the acre as before stated 

 in the calculation for transplanting. After the turf is removed 

 the field should have a good top-dressing, not less than thirty or 

 forty loads per acre, of compost manure, or good vegetable mould. 



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