Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 213 



ARTICLE V. 



Experiments made by fever d Lovers of Agriculture, oti lands fown in 

 equally difant rows with the drill-plough. 



" OOME of the principles of the new hulbandry have been adopted 

 O in this way of fowing ; and even the common plowing is now 

 performed with more care than it was before the great advantage of 

 thorouo-hly dividing and breaking the earth was fo well knowrt.' 

 This method of fowing the land all over in equally diftant rows, 

 being, in apoearance, eafier and more fimple than forming it into 

 beds, has now a great number of partifans: and, indeed, the grounds 

 which have been fown in that manner, have yielded much better 

 crops than the fields cultivated in the old way. 



EXPERIMENT. No. XIV. 



** |T is pretty generally the cuftom about Geneva, if the land is 

 -•■ good, to fow it in April, over the wheat, with clover feed,which. 

 yields a crop the next year. Agreeable to this cuftom, a field of 

 about three acres, was lowed with clover in April 1752. In 1753 

 it yielded two crops of clover, after which the owner of the ground 

 gave it three good plowings in the common way. The clods which 

 the plough had left, were afterwards broken by hand before the 

 field was fowed ; for it was refolved to fpare no pains to give it a 

 good preparation. 



" About 630 pounds of wheat ufed generally to be employed to 

 fow this field: but it was now fowed, on the fourteenth of September,^ 

 with only 315 pounds. The earth was extremely dry, and the wea-' 

 ther very hot, which it continued to be for ten days longer; circum- 

 llances which ought to be attended to, and which it will be proper' 

 the reader fliould remember when he comes to the continuation of 

 this experiment in the feventh article. 



" This field was plentifully flocked with plants. They yielded 2926 

 pounds of wheat. In proportion to the produce of the other fields 

 of the fame farm, this would have yielded, at moft, only between 

 18 and 1900 pounds: confequently here is again of about 1026 

 pounds, befides 3 1 5 pounds ^ved in the feed, which makes in all a 

 profit of 1 341 pounds. 



E X- 



