388 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



rise again, as they commonly will in old ground, the hoe 

 should be applied the second lime. 



We shall now proceed to describe the manner of raising 

 these roots in drills, which is the proper method, being that 

 in which ihe greatest crops may be raised with the least 

 expense. 



The ground is first to be made fine with the plough; and 

 the richer it is the better; though they may be successfully 

 grown, with the aid of manures, on suitable soils ot mode- 

 rate fertility. Furrows are then to be run at about the dis- 

 tance ot iwenty seven inches from the centre of each ; and 

 this is best done with a kind oi horse- hoe, or scraper, that 

 .throws tSie earth <,ff on both sides, though a common one* 

 horse-plough will answer, by bung run buck in the same 

 furrow, us described under MANGLE WURTZEL. In the 

 bouoiiiS of these furrows barn- dung, well roted for the 

 purpose, or compost, suitable 10 the soil, is to be laid evenly 

 along, at the rate ot about titteen horse-cartloads to the 

 acre, A furrow, with a small onehorse plough, is then to 

 be run on each side ot the layers of dung, so as to cover 

 them over, but not too deeply. 



By this operation, ridges are thrown up, which are to be 

 the beds for the seed. Over these ridges a small roller is 

 drawn by one Horse, and to this a small drill machine is 

 attached, by a rope or chain, so as to follow behind, one 

 wheel of the drill runmg on each side of the ridge, and 

 from this machine the seed is droped, and covered, all at 

 one operation. A handle, extending behind the machine, 

 is held by the Driver, for the purpose oi directing it, so as 

 that the seeds are droped in their proper places, over the 

 dung below, into which the roots soon extend, and cause 

 the plants to grow with luxuriance. 



In due season, they are to be thined, so as to stand six, 

 eight, or ten inches apart, according to the size they may 

 be expected to grow; which must depend on the dung be- 

 low, aided by the natural strength of the soil. At the same 

 time, the intervals between the rows are to be ploughed 

 with the scraper, and the hoe applied, together with hand- 

 weeding, for the purpose of cleaning the ground. 



In about ten days alter this, the second operation of clean- 

 ing the ground is to be commenced, by turning the furrows, 

 with the small onehorse- plough, from the rows, which 

 throws the ground into ridges between them ; and then 

 with the scraper, to split these ridges, which throws the 

 ground back to the rows again ; and this is to be followed 

 with hoeing, and hand-weeding, as before. 



The scraper has a share with a wing on each side, and 

 rounded at the point, similar to the round-pointed shovel^ 



