FEEPAEING THE SUEFACE. 41 



of a convenient size, which run completely across the 

 garden or inclosure, in a direction parallel with that of 

 the main water-furrow from which the supply is to be 

 derived. In case the garden consists of four, eight, or 

 ten acres, or less or more, a proper width of these plots 

 would he 210 feet. This size would be the more con- 

 venient, as 210 feet is as nearly as can be had in practice 

 the length of the side of a square acre. Besides, this 

 distance is as great as water can be made to run in a fur- 

 row in ordinary garden soil without being all absorbed 

 before it reaches the extremity. Between the plots suf- 

 ficient spaces will be left for roads, if any are needed, for 

 carts or wagons to go through. These plots are then 

 divided into other plots of the width designed for the 

 ridges. They are then plowed, and the ridges " twice 

 gathered " to use a plowman's parlance which means 



Fig. 6. OUTLINE OP THE BED. 



that a back furrow is made in the center of each of these 

 secondary plots, and the furrows are thrown each way 

 toward the back furrow until the ridge is completed. 

 The ground should then be rolled. Then another back 

 furrow is made over the first, and the ridge is plowed as 

 before, making each of the furrows shallower than the 

 preceding one, so as to leave a gentle slope from the 

 crown of the ridge toward the open furrow on each side 

 of it. The ridges will then show an outline as seen in 

 fig. 6. At the head of each row of ridges or beds the 

 ground is plowed into a headland or ridge, which is 

 thrown toward the first made ridges, and which slopes 

 gradually away from them to the fence or outer boundary 

 of the inclosure, the last furrow made, next the fence, 

 being plowed deeply so as to provide a ditch for draining 



