Chap. III. O F H O R S E - H O E S. 449 



what greatly merits the attention of every one, and ought never to 

 be lofl: fight of, is, that wide alleys are more eafily and much better 

 ftirred than narrower ones : for when an alley is wide, the great 

 furrow in the middle of it may be cut deep, there being then fuf- 

 ficient fpace to turn the earth over towards the rowsj whilflonthe 

 contrary, in too narrow alleys the earth cannot be flirred deep 

 enough, nor can room be found for what is turned over out of the 

 furrows, without danger of burying great part of the rows. 



I therefore fuppofe the general width of the alleys to be about four 

 feet. But the whole of that width is not to be plowed or flirred, 

 either with the plough or cultivator, as foon as the field is fown. 

 Neither of thefe inftruments ought to go too near the rows of corn, 

 for fear of rooting up the plants : but a flip of earth, about fix inches 

 wide, fliould be left untouched on the outfide of each bed ; by 

 which means the part of the alley that is to be fiirred, will be re- 

 duced to the breadth of three feet; and even that is lefl'ened in the 

 firft plowing before winter, by a deep furrow which is then cut clofe 

 to and all along thofe fix inch flips, and the earth taken out of that 

 furrow, or thofe furrows, is thrown into the great furrow in the 

 middle of the alley, and ferves to fill and arch it up. Thefe two fide 

 furrows make together a width of about eighteen inches, and con- 

 fequently leave in the middle of the alley a breadth of about eighteen 

 inches more, on which is heaped up the earth thrown out of the 

 two furrows: and thus the alleys remain all the winter. 



The firfl: hoeing in the fpring, {hould turn back towards the rows 

 of corn, the earth heaped up in the middle of the alleys. The two 

 furrows that were opened before winter, are then filled up, and a 

 new one is cut in the middle of the alley. 



To perform this firfl: hoeing with the common plough, which 

 may very eafily be done, two turns of that inftrument will necelTii- 

 rily be requifite, viz. one on each fide of the alley, as near as poiTible 

 to the beds. But as even with thofe two turns, the furrow will fre- 

 quently not be well formed, but a great deal of earth will fl:ill remain 

 between it and the bed, a third turn of the plough is often necef- 

 fary, and fometimes a fourth, to forxn the middle furrow as it 

 ought to be. 



To perform this work with the cultivator with two mould-boards, 

 that infl:rument mufl: be placed in the middle of the alley, and the 

 horfes in one of the two furrows. The fliare will eafily enter, and 



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