306 On trcmsplanting Turf, 



more regularly. The turf should be cut about two inches and a 

 half Thick, and seven, eight, or nine inches wide, according to the 

 nature of the turf-gage of the plough, and the width of the wing 

 of the share ; it is sometimes cross-cut into short lengths, pre- 

 vious to the operation of paring : but this can only be effected 

 when the turf is moist, and free from stones. The cross-cutting 

 is done by a scarifier with scimetar tines, the convex edges made 

 very i^harp, and faced to the work, and the implement heavily 

 weighted, so as to press the tines a proper depth into the turf, 

 into small pieces ; but it gives more trouble, and increases the 

 ex|»ense of filling into carts; for when cut into small pieces, in the 

 first instance, it requires to bt filled with shovels, whereas, if left 

 in large flag^, it is readily filled with forks or by the hand, when 

 the turf is tough, and hangs togetli^r. The turf is taken in carts 

 (if broad wheels so much the better) h the arable land on which 

 it is to be planted, and then dragged ou\of the cart in heaps, set 

 in straight lines, and at regular distances, h, the same manner as 

 dung-heaps are set in fields, and after the i-^te of filty single- 

 borse cart-loads to the acre. It is then chopper ipto pieces of 

 about three inches square, and spread with shovels re^-ilarly over 

 the ground. A scarifier with square or round tines, abouione inch 

 and a half diameter, and set about one inch and a half apt^rt, or 

 four times in a yard, is drawn regularly 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 scarifying cannot be prac- 

 ticed when the ground is wet. It is, however, much better when 

 the scarifier can be used, as it not only marks out the dis- 

 tances 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 employed 

 to place or plant trie turf, one piece in each intersection formed 

 by the tracts of tb.e scarifier ; and with the foot of a wooden ram- 

 mer 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 a« before described, will plant 

 nine acres of arable land, as will appear from the following cal- 

 culation. 



Suppose one acre of turf cut into pieces of three inches square, 

 it will produce 696,960 plants, or pieces of turf. 



