THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 11 



the dew is on, in the morning, especially sandy, or 

 light loamy lands, (when ploughed in summer,) and 

 even in moist weather, if the season is dry ; but as a 

 general rule, improve a dry time, both for your 

 ploughing, hoeing, and for your seed-time ; your crops 

 will always repay your attention, some extraordina- 

 ries in your soil excepted, and the surface will derive 

 most benefit from the harrow in dry weather. 



Harrowing. 



No instrument of husbandry requires the judg- 

 ment of the farmer more than the harrow : it is capa- 

 ble of doing the most good, and hurt, at the same time, 

 of any other instrument. 



1 . The harrow in field husbandry, answers to the 

 rake in gardening, and cannot be made to pulverize 

 your tillage lands too fine ; but if this is done after 

 your seeds are sown, it will cover them often too deep, 

 and thus injure your crop ; and in flax arid hemp, of- 

 ten double the labour and expense in pulling ; and 

 in your grass seeds, by covering too deep, will destroy 

 their growth. 



2. Make it a general rule to level, and pulverize, 

 as much as is necessary with the harrow, before you 

 cast your seed, and then cover lightly with the har- 

 row, according to the hardness, or stiffness of the soil 

 when the lands are light, once over will answer ; 

 but when they are stiff, twice may be necessary. 



Rolling. 



The field Roller is an instrument much used in 

 Europe, and in some parts of our own country ; and its 

 good effects much extolled by the best writers, and 

 upon the following principles ; viz. 



1. When used upon sward ground broken up for 

 corn, it compresses the furrows to the earth be- 

 neath, and thus guards the corn against the effects of. 

 droughts, by equalizing moisture. 



