66 THE CULTURE OF WHEAT. Parti. 



their houfes, litter their cattle, or heat their ovens ; but likewife 

 becaufe they are then lutficiently employed in preparing their grounds 

 for fowing. 



Farmers leldom give this plowing, which they call Winter-faHow- 

 ing, but to grounds newly broke up, or to that part of their land, 

 which they intend to fow with barley or peas ; and in that cafe, 

 the land Ihould be plowed twice in the Ipring ; becaufe, if it is 

 plowed but once, the old furface, on which the former crop grew is 

 again turned up ; and barley and peas requiring a fine tilth, more 

 than one plowing is neceflary. 



Thofe who plow their ftubble immediately after harveft, are 

 obliged to give a fecond plowing before they fow their oats. Thus 

 all their land is winter-fallowed ; and their return at harveft gene- 

 rally repays this expence and labour ; for the winter fallowing is 

 always of fingular benefit to the ground. 



Oats are fown and harrowed during the month of March, or in 

 the beginning of April. When they are about four inches high, 

 the farmer takes advantage of a fhower, which foftens the clods, to 

 run a wooden roller over the ground, which, by breaking the clods, 

 lays frefli earth to the roots of the plants, and fmooths the furface 

 of the field, fo that the mowers are able to cut the oats clofe to 

 the ground which it is very fit they fhould, becaufe oats feldom 

 grow high. 



Oats are reaped foon after wheat, and then begins the year of 

 fallowing, during which the earth is prepared for receiving wheat 

 the year following. We muft not however think that the plow- 

 ing, or plowings, v/hich are given to the oats, are of no benefit to 

 the wheat. V/e rather think that the land which has been twice 

 plowed for oats, is the better prepared for the plowings neceffary 

 to bring it into a proper tilth for wheat. This has been our reafon 

 for faying thus much of oats, though this chapter is more imme- 

 diately intended for the culture of wheat. 



The, firfl plowing which is given to a fallow, is to turn down, 

 the ftubble of the oats. This may be done as foon as the oats are 

 off the ground : or it may rather be delayed till the feed time is 

 over. 1. Becaufe it is a bufy time. 2. Becaufe, by delaying it, 

 numbers of feeds fprout up, which are fo many weeds dellroyed. 

 3. Becaufe the cattle enjoy the benefit of the pafture which the 

 ftubble yields. 4. Becaufe, to perform this plowing well, it is 



neceffary 



