CROPS. 229 



is grown ; and the injury which is done, both to the growth of 

 the plant and to the sample of grain, by the weeds which 

 ripen their seeds among it, renders the weeding or clearing of 

 the crop of great importance. This is often done here, even 

 when the crop is sown broadcast ; and it is not uncommon, in the 

 spring, to see a large party of women in a field, employed in 

 weeding j but it is obvious to what disadvantage this is done 

 when the plant is sown broadcast, compared with it when sown 

 in drills. 



The next mode of planting wheat is by dibbling. Drilling is 

 sowing the wheat in rows, in continuous lines ; dibbling is 

 planting it, in these rows, at intervals, sometimes, of six inches 

 to a foot. This is sometimes done by hand : a laborer goes 

 forward, with an instrument with two or three teeth, 



making holes, into which children, who follow him, I 



drop one or more seeds as they go on, and cover \l u \/ 

 them with their hands or feet. Labor is here so &quot; * 



abundant, and parents, in order to eke out their narrow means 

 of living, are so ready to avail themselves of the labor of their 

 children, that this operation is not expensive, and indeed is often 

 compensated by the actual saving in seed ; and abating the 

 irregularities in the sowing, which may be expected from the 

 common recklessness of children, may be considered as a good 

 mode of executing the work. But machines have been invented 

 for dibbling as well as for drilling ; and one called Ncwbernfs 

 machine, from the name of its maker, is exceedingly ingenious 

 in its construction. I should find it difficult to describe it in 

 telligibly. A machine calculated to sow only one row has one 

 wheel, to sow five rows has five concentric wheels, hollow, and 

 with a box in them to contain the seed, with dibbled points upon 

 the rim of these wheels, at such distances as it is desired the 

 holes should be made. As the machine revolves, these dibbles 

 or pins, .which are in fact hollow, force themselves into the 

 ground, making a place or hole for the deposit of the seed ; and. 

 as they are being raised from the hole, they divide and drop the 

 seeds into it, which is covered and pressed down by the machine. 

 The machine is calculated to sow from four to five pecks an acre. 

 It is drawn by two horses. in some cases more are required, 

 and in general performs its work well. It is an expensive machine ; 

 VOL. ir. 20 



