APPENDIX. V 45 



One-third of the furface was ftripped, and laid upon 

 the other two-thirds, caufing the two fwards to meet, 

 the better to reduce them. This encreafed the, depth 

 of vegetable foil from four to fix inches, over which 

 two inches more of the fubftratum was thrown up, 

 which gave a depth, for planting, of eight inches. The 

 laft covering not only encreafed the depth, but ferved 

 to give weight and ftability to the whole. 



In performing this work, it was of little confequence 

 whether the furrows and ridges were formed crooked 

 or ftraight ; they were fometimes one way, and fome- 

 times the other ; the difpofition of the ground always 

 directed the courfes of the ridges ; up and down hill, 

 where the land was not over fteep or fudden ; but, 

 where the ground tended abruptly, the direction was 

 always carried obliquely to the hill, the better to pre- 

 vent the foil from being waflied away. 



This mode varied according to circumflances. Where 

 the foil was much difpofed to moifture, the breadth of 

 the furrows was three feet, and that of the ridge fix 

 feet ; but, in foils more dry, the breadth of both were 

 encreafed, in order to prevent the drought from taking 

 place too much in the fummer feafon ; a precaution 

 which in many inftances was very neceflary, as no- 

 thing could be more eflential than to guard againft 

 both extremes. 



This work was always performed one year at leaf! 

 before the planting took place, by which time the fur- 

 faces 



