III.] PREPARATlOxV. 



the end nearest to the horse, and^ perhaps, from 

 eight to ten feet long. Thus mounted, the boy 

 begins on the straightest side of the field, and 

 makes a mark all along with his log. When he 

 gets to the end he turns his horse round, and 

 having placed the log at the width of four feet 

 from his first mark, away he goes to the other 

 end, making another mark as he goes. He then 

 turns again, and thus he goes on till he has gone 

 over the whole field in that direction. If the 

 sides of the field be crooked, he makes short 

 marks, so as to fill up the whole. 



36. When this is done, he begins to go cross- 

 ways the field, making his marks at four feet 

 from each other as before ; and the sequel shows, 

 that, incredible as the fact is, he generally per- 

 forms the operation with great geometrical truth. 

 All country people, 1 mean farming people, are 

 remarkable for true sight in the measuring of 

 spaces and distances, and this is particularly the 

 case with the people of America. 



37. The next operation is the manuring of the 

 field. A man or boy, with a light wagon, and 

 two horses which he drives with reins (I wish I 

 had such a wagon), goes into the field with well 

 rotted and finely broken manure, which has been 

 turned up, a year before, and has been turned 

 over several times, until it be as fine as it can be 

 made. He carries a shovel in his wagon, and 



