HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS, 281 



broad wheels so much the better) to the arable land on 

 which it is to be planted, and then dragged out of the cart 

 in heaps, set in straight lines, and at regular distances, in 

 the same manner as dung-heaps are set in fields, and after 

 the rate of fifty single-horse cart-loads to the acre. It is 

 then chopped into pieces of about three inches square, and 

 spread with shovels regularly over the ground. A scarifier 

 with square or round tines, about one inch and a half in 

 diameter, and set about one inch and a half apart, or four 

 tines in a yard, is drawn regularlarly over the field, and 

 again crossed at right angles, which takes out the cart- 

 wheel tracts, levels the ground, and marks out the distances 

 for placing the pieces of turf; but the operation of scari- 

 fying cannot be practised when the ground is wet. It is, 

 however, much better when the scarifier can be used, as it 

 not only marks out the distances accurately, but it makes 

 an opening for the reception of the plants, at the angles 

 where the tracts of the tines cross each other. 



The turf being spread, women and children are then em- 

 ployed to place or plant the turf, one piece in each inter- 

 section formed by the tracts of the scarifier ; and with the 

 foot or a wooden rammer, 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 calculation : — 



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. Blaikie farther observes, that although this is the 

 most connnon, and judged to be the most proper size for the 

 plants, and distance for them to be set apart, yet it may 



