so O F P L O W I N G. Parti. 



The anonymous author of the New Syjiem of Agriculture makes 

 a very good and ufefiil obfervation, which it may not be improper 

 to iniert here. 'Tis this : " When the land you are to plow, is the 

 *' fide of avery ileep hill, as it often is, 'tis downright madnefs to 

 " proceed, as moft countrymen do, by plowing direcSly up and 

 " down the fleep. In this cafe, 'tis pity the driver is not in the place 

 " of his team : he would then, perhaps, difcover, that 'twould be 

 " the wifeft way to plow crofs the hill, by which means, the cattle 

 " would not only draw with the fame eafe as if they work'd on plain 

 " ground, but the furrows, lying athwart, would prevent the rains 

 '• from waHiing down the fatnefs of the foil, with every flood; a 

 " misfortune, to which, at prefent, all thefe lands are yearly liable, 

 " and often ruin'd, and impoverilhed by it." 



Mr. Tull, for the fame reafon., adviles plowing hills nearly ho- 

 rizontally : and, as a farther advantage, he obferves, that their 

 parting furrows, lying open, carry off the water, and by that means 

 prevent it's foaking into the ridge next below. 



We fliall now give our former author's diredlions, as the beft we 

 know of in fo fmall a compafs, for the farther management of lands 

 according to the old hufbandry, which v/e have hitherto been chiefly 

 fpeaking of. 



Common and indifi"erent lands, fays he, I difl:inguifli into heavy 

 and Ught, and comprehend, in this diflinilion, every particular dif- 

 ference of foil, which Is known in this kingdom. All deep, hard 

 clays, of what colour foever ; all fl:ifF, chalky, binding earths, and 

 fuch, as after being expofed to the fun, or frolf, grow hard and ftony; 

 with fuch as, in the violent heat of fummer, chop and cleave upon 

 their furface ; all thefe I call heavy lands, not only becaufe of the 

 clofenefs and firmnefs of their nature, but as they all hang heavily 

 on the labour of the plowman and his team. 



On the other hand, all fandy, mouldering, gravelly, warm, mel- 

 low foils, all loofe and open earths, of what nature foever ; all fuch 

 as are not flicky, but will prefently dry after rain; and, inftead of 

 lying in huge clumps after plowing, are eafily apt to diffolve, and 

 crumble into mould, not being fubjeft to bind by the heats in fum- 

 mer and frofls in winter ; all grounds, of this kind, I diftinguifh by 

 the name of light lands. 



I (hall take each of them from their firfl breaking up in the turf. 



Let us fuppofe then, that, at Lady-day you begin your huf- 

 bandry. The firfl thing necefTary is, carefully and judicioufly to 

 I oblerve 



