Cultivation of Arable Land Cabbages After culture of Crops of. \ 77 



accomplished by means of ploughs, horfe and hand-hoes. Where the plants arc 

 fee out in a regular manner at fufficient diftances, the bufinefs may be performed 

 in the moft cheap and effectual way by the ufc of the horfe-hoe, or the com 

 mon light fwing-plough ; but where narrow diftances are employed, this work 

 can only be well executed by means of the hand-hoe. Sometimes both the 

 horfe and the hand-hoe are made ufe of; as&quot; where the crop is planted clofe in 

 the rows, with wide intervals. The number of hoeings muft in general depend 

 upon the ftate of the land and the nature of the feafon ; but three will in 

 moft cafes be neceflary. The firft fliould be given about three weeks or a 

 month after planting, according to the growth of the plants ; and the fecond 

 at about an equal diftance of time. The third may be repeated as the necef- 

 fity of the crop may require, attention being constantly paid to keep the land 

 perfectly clean from weeds, and the earth or mould well loofened and laid up to 

 the plants. In the firft operation it is ufual to turn the mould or foil from the 

 plants, but in the fubfequent ones to apply it up to them, which, where the 

 plants are fet regularly in fquares at the diftance of three feet, may be per 

 formed in both directions of the ground, in the moft perfect manner. In this way 

 the cultivator not only in a great meafure avoids the heavy cxpence of hand- 

 hoeing, but contributes to the growth of the crop in the moft effectual manner. 

 In executing the work, by means of horfe labour, fome make ufe of the horfe- 

 hoe, others the double mould-boarded and common hoe ploughs; and it has 

 been contended, that it may be effected with equal exactnefs and in an equally 

 effectual manner by any common light fwing-plough.* 



After thefe hoeings have been accompli fried, the hand-hoe may be occafion- 

 ally employed juft about the roots of the plants, if there mould be neceflity. 

 And where the crops are planted out at narrow diftances either wholly or in 

 the rows only, it muft altogether or m a great degree be depended upon for 

 the after-culture of the crops. In thefe cafes, two or three hoeings are moftly 

 found neceflary. -] The expence of each hand-hoeing in fuch crops is in ge 

 neral from two (hillings to half-a-crown or three millings the acre.J 



Where the crops are fown in the drill method in April where the plants are to 

 remain, they mould be thinned ont the following month when the plants arc 

 about three or four inches in height, by hand-hoeing, in order to the next opera* 



* Anderfon s Recreations in Agriculture, &c. vol. II. 



f See Hoeing. 



J Correded Report of SuffpU;. 



VOL.II. A a 



