Cultivation of Arable Land. Barley* Preparation for. 49 



It has been obferved by Mr. A. Young that in putting this crop in after 

 turnips, it has been long the practice in Suffolk to do it by means of drilling 

 without any ploughing. For this purpofe, as well as for many others, the furface 

 of the land is, he fays, thrown on to lands of fu-ch breadths as fuit in an exadl man 

 ner for one ftroke or going of the drill machine, or for two, which is termed a 

 lout. The fhafts of the drill are fixed like thofe of a cart for one horfc that quar 

 ters ; the horfe-hoeing implements, fcarifiers, and fcufflers that may be em 

 ployed, being prepared according to the drill machine, fo as to fit the lands OF 

 ridges exactly. Suppofing the turnips to have been drilled or fown on lands 

 fixty-fix inches in width, which admits feven rows of barley to be drilled at 

 nine inches apart leaving twelve inches for each furrow. Thefe lands being 

 cleared of the roots by eating them with fheep^ or by carting them off with carts 

 fo contrived as that the horfes and wheels may pafs along only in the furrows, the 

 furface foil being in fomemeafure mellowed and rendered fine by the frofts, the 

 queftion is how to prepare it for barky or oats. &quot; The hufbandry univerfal till 

 very lately was, Mr. Young fays, that of ploughing fuch land once, twice, or 

 thrice for fpring corn ; the better farmers thrice, others once, and a few twice. Up 

 on very dry foilsj the evil was little more than that of a ufelefs expenfe, except pro 

 bably a. greater diUipation of the volatile particles of the urine of the fheep that 

 had fed on the turnips : but upon all other foils more ftiff and unmanageable, the 

 furface which had been rendered friable by the frofts, being turned down, and. the 

 more ftiff and clung bottom not influenced in the fame manner by thofe natural, 

 agents being brought up, it might alfo, if very favourable weatber enfued, be 

 brought into good order; but if thefeafon proved the leaft unfavourable, the far^ 

 rner could have no chance of obtaining fo fine and fafe a. tilth as the furface. was 

 capable of, without any fuch reverfal of it by ploughing : the new fyftem is, he, 

 fays, to apply the fcarifiers inftead of fuch ploughing.. Mr. Cook s, with his caft- 

 iron beam, or any. other- heavy enough, is ufed, the horfes walking only in the fur 

 rows, and confequently without any trampling of the land. Thefe fcarifiers are of 

 different breadths, but all narrow, ufually about three inches, or at moft four, and. 

 they will go as deeply as may bethought proper. They ought, he thinks, to ftir 

 to the depth to which it would have been ploughed, whether four, five, or fix in* 

 ches. They completely loofenthe foil, let down the air, to dry it at bottom, give 

 a very good tilth with the material advantage of not burying that pulverifed furface 

 which frofts. have given, and which, if once loft, may not be regained in time for 

 barley. In fome cafes, one fcarifying and two or three harrowings will, he obferves,, 



VOL. II. H 



