52 Cultivation of Arable Land. Barley. Timcoffowing. 



thrafhed about ten coombs per acre, and calculates that he has between two and 

 three coombs per acre yet in the ftraw. 



By his advice, his tenant has this year fown almoft his whole barley crop with 

 a fmgle ploughing, his turnip-land being clean, with the exception of one piece, 

 which he was advifed to plough feveral times. The weather having continued 

 remarkably dry, was the reafon of the -recommendation. By ploughing land two 

 or three times and harrowing it as often in dry weather, whatever moifture there is 

 muft evaporate. Corn depofited in land in this fituation comes up at two different 

 times ; the fuperficial corn, that which being lightly buried feels the influence of 

 dews, and fprouts up ; that which .lies deeper will not germinate till a mower, 

 of rain comes. At harveft time one half of the .farmer s crop would be {helled be 

 fore ihe other would be ripe. The year before,, the feed-time was dropping as the 

 farmers call it, or he mould not have worked his land forauch about.&quot; 



In fowing this grain after peas, or other pulfe crops, it is ciiftomary in mod 

 diftricts to give the firft earth or ploughing in the autumn, which .mould always 

 be performed in fuch a manner, as that the greateft poffible .extent of furface 

 may be expofedto the influenced the atmofphere and the action .of the frofts ; 

 the ridges being at the fame time fo laid up, as that no injury may be produced 

 by the wetnefs that may take place during the winter feafon. The fecond 

 earth or furrow* is moftly. given about March, when the oat crop has been put 

 into the foil t By this ploughing, two different pjurpofes are effected in many 

 cafes ; the root- weeds, fuch as thofe of couch, and other noxious .plants, may be 

 loofened, fo as to be more readily extirpated by the application of the harrows 

 immediately afterwards, and the foil reduced to fo fine a tilth, as that thofe of 

 the feed kind may be induced .to vegetate freely, and in confequence be more 

 perfectly removed by the action of the plough and harrow at the period of putting 

 in the feed ,,f 



If this kind of grain be introduced after wheat, or other forts of corn crops, 

 which, ash as been fhewn, is by no means a practice to be recommended, the 

 preparation of the land is moftly conducted in the fame mannner as the above. 



Time of /owing. The period of putting this fort of crop into the foil muft, 

 of courfe, vary in fomc degree according to the nature and quality of the land, 

 and its fituation in refpect to climate. In moft of the more fouthern diftricts 



* This is fometimes termed the steering furrow in the northern diftrifts. 

 i Modern Agriculture, vol. II. p. 282. 



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