452 SCIENCE Of AGRICULTURE. Part II. 



trenching with a view to pulverising ancl changing the surface, a trench is formed like 

 the furrow in digging, but two or more times wider and deeper ; the plot or piece to be 

 trenched is next marked off with the line into parallel strips of this width ; and beginning 

 at one of these, the operator digs or picks the surface stratum, and throws it in the 

 bottom of the trench. Having completed with the shovel the removal of the surface 

 stratum, a second, and a third, or fourth, according to the depth of the soil and other 

 circumstances, is removed in the same way ; and thus, when the operation is completed, 

 the position of the different stratums is exactly the reverse to what they were before. 

 In trenching, with a view to mixture and pulverisation {Jig. 409.), all that is necessary 

 is to open at one corner of the plot, a trench or excavation of the desired depth, three 

 or four feet broad, and six or eight feet long. Then proceed to fill this excavation 

 from one end by working out a similar one. In this way proceed across the piece to be 

 trenched, and then return, and so on in parallel courses to the end of the plot, observing 

 that the face or position of the moved soil in the trench must always be that of a slope, 

 in order that whatever is thrown there may be mixed, and not deposited in regular layers 

 as in the other case. To effect this most completely, the operator should always stand 

 in the bottom of the trench, and first picking down, and mixing the materials, from the 

 solid side (a), should next take them up with a shovel, or throw them on the slope or 

 face of the moved soil (6), keeping a distinct space of two or three feet between them. 



For want of attention to this, in trenching new soils for plantations, or other purposes, 

 it may be truly said that half the benefit derivable from the operation is lost. In general 

 in trenching, those points which were mentioned under digging, such as turning, breaking, 

 dunging, &c. required to be attended to, and sometimes an additional object, that of 

 producing a level from an irregular surface, is desired. In this case double care is re- 

 quisite to avoid forming subterraneous basins or hollows, which might retain water in 

 the substratum, at the bottom of the moved soil, and also to mix inferior with better soil, 

 &c. where it becomes requisite to penetrate into depositions of inferior earthy matters. 



2891. Ridging is a mode of finishing the surface, applicable either to dug or trenched 

 grounds, which, when so finished, are called ridge-dug or ridge-trenched. Instead of 

 being formed with an even surface, ridged grounds are finished in ridges or close ranges 

 of parallel elevations, whose sections are nearly equilateral triangles. Hence, suppos- 

 ing the triangles to touch at their bases, two-thirds of more surface will be exposed to 

 the influence of the atmosj^here and the weather, than in even surfaces. 



2892. Forking. Tlie fork is composed of two or three separate, parallel, and uni- 

 form wedges, joined so as to form one general blade, which is acted on like the spade, 

 by means of a shoulder or hilt for thrusting it into the matters to be forked, and a lever 

 or handle for separating and lifting them. Forking is used for two purposes ; for pul- 

 verising the soil among growing crops, and for moving vegetable manures. In the 

 first case the operation is similar to digging, the only difference being that pulverisation 

 is more attended to than reversing the surface ; in the other, the fork separates chiefly 

 by drawing and lifting ; hence, for this purpose a round-pronged (or dung) fork, pro- 

 duces least friction during the discharge of the fork-full and reinsertion ; and a broad- 

 pronged fork separates and lifts more readily the soil. Dry weather is essentially 

 requisite in forking soils, and most desirable for spreading manures ; but dung-hill's 

 may be turned during rain, with no great injury. 



2893. Dragging out dung or earth is performed by the dung-drag, and is adopted in 

 the case of distributing dung from a cart in regular portions or little lieaps over a field. 

 When lime, in a state of pulverisation, earth, or sand, is to be distributed in the same 

 way, a scraper or large hoe is used ; and sometimes for want of these the dung-drag, 

 aided by the spade or common hoe, 



2894. ffond-Iiodng is performed by drawing or thrusting the wedge or blade of the 

 draw or tlirust-hoe along the surface of the soil, so as to cut weeds at or under the 

 surface, and slightly to pulverise the soil. It is used for four purposes, sometimes to- 

 gether, but commonly separate; first, to loosen weeds or thin out plants, so as those 

 hoed up may die for want of nourishment, or be gathered or raked off, for which pur- 

 pose either the thrust or draw-hoe may be used ; the second, to stir the soil, and for this 

 purpose when no weeds require killing, the pronged hoe is preferable, as being thrust 

 deeper with less force, and as less likely to cut the roots of plants ; the third, is to draw 



