'^^^ AGRICrtT^AL ESSAtS. 



4ast ploughing, and ploughed in immediately. If the grain be 

 .ploughed in with a shoal furrow, it will not be so liable to be 

 killed by the winter frosts. The roots will lie deeper than 

 those of harrowed grain, and will the better bear drought in 

 the following summer, if that should happen. 



Some, to save labor, plough their lands' so shallow for sowing 

 as ^carcely to take up the roots of the weeds. This is believed 

 to be bad husbandry: for in that case-a larger crx)p of weeds 

 may be expected, than if it had not been ploughed at all ; and 

 that the roots will not have sufficient room to extend them- 

 selves. Ploughing the ground-in autumn will have a tendency 

 to prevent this most absurd conduct in theepring, which sonS6 

 practice toTavor theit teams in the faint season. 



Land thatis low and flat, and therefore apt to be too w^t and 

 heavy, ought to be ploughed in ridges. The ridges may have 

 two, three, or four furrows on each side, according as the 

 ground IS wetter or drier. The wettest ground should have 

 the narrowest ridges ; but they never should be narrower than 

 four furrows in a ridge. The rows will be between four and 

 -five feet apart, if one row of plants be set on each ridge. But 

 if there be- eix or eight furrows in a ridge, it may admit of two 

 rows, one on each side of the veering. 



After lying In ridges through the winter, the ridges should 

 be thrown into the hollows by another ploughing in the sprino-, 

 which will bring it into good order for seeding. Or, if it shoufd 

 be too miry to be ploughed in the spring, either Indian corn or 

 potatoes may be planted on the' ridges ; and -what is wanting 

 6f the proper tillage, may be made up after the ground has be-, 

 come drier, by frequent and deep horse hoeings. Good cropj 

 -of com, It is said, have been obtained iri this method, on lane 

 which, With plain ploughing, would have produced next t© va 

 thing. 



Most clay soils, which lie level, require this sort of culture, 

 for this more than any other soil is liable to be injured by over- 

 much wetness. And tbe drierit lies, the weaker wUl be the co- 

 iieiion of it« ^arts. 



