H AR 



HAR 



183 



ly, and more effectually mix it 

 with the soil. Here the strongest 

 harrow must be used ; and it ought 

 to be heavy, in order to make any 

 considerable im[>ression on the 

 soil. It is often necessary that the 

 harrow pass several times in (he 

 same place, in order to raise a suffi- 

 cient quantity of mould. There 

 is no reason to fear its being lost 

 labour. The more such ground is 

 harrowed, the better crop may be 

 rationally expected. 



On furrows of green sward new- 

 ly ploughed, the harrow should 

 pass the same way that the plough 

 did : Otherwise, some of the fur- 

 rows, which lie a little higher than 

 the rest, will be turned back again, 

 grass upwards. This sort of land 

 requires a heavy harrow, or one 

 made so by loading it. A light one 

 will sink into the furrows but lit- 

 tle, and be of little servict;. 



On idd ground, ploughed plain, 

 the harrow should pass the first 

 time, across the furrows, as the 

 teeth will better take hold of the 

 roots of weeds, and more deeply 

 penetrate the soil. It will also do 

 more towards levelling the ground. 

 Afterwards it should be harrowed 

 the other way, lengthwise of the 

 furrows. 



Harrowing commonly does the 

 most service immediately after 

 ground is ploughed, as the teeth go 

 deeper and raise the more mould. 

 If it be neglected at this juncture, 

 a time should be chosen when the 

 soil is not too dry. After a gentle 

 rain the clods will crumble the 

 more easily ; and the soil under- 

 neath being drier, will not be har- 

 dened by the treading of cattle. 



In light sandy, or gravelly soils, 

 or where there is occasion for har- 

 rowing land which is excessively 

 dry, or in danger of soon becoming 

 so, it should be done when the 

 dew is on the ground, early in a 

 moriiing. This will increase, rath- 

 er ihan dimmish the moislness of 

 the soil. And on the contrary, 

 land which is apt to be too wet, 

 should be harrowed at a time when 

 it is driest, as in the middle of a fair 

 day. The first scratching will 

 cause it to dry fast, and so pre- 

 pare it to be made fine and mel- 

 low by the second. 



The European farmers recom- 

 mend harrowing ground once over 

 before corn is sowed, and then to 

 harrow in the seed the contrary 

 way. The grain will be the more 

 even, and not appear so much in 

 rows, as if it were sowed upon the 

 furrows; but it will not be so 

 deeply covered. Perhaps sowing 

 upon furrows, both winter and 

 summer grain, may be generally 

 the better method in this country, 

 which is so much more liable to 

 suffer by severe frosts and droughts. 

 Some of our farmers even think it 

 best to plough in the seed with a 

 shallow furrow. The roots will 

 lie the deeper, and be less expos- 

 ed to suffer by frost and drought. 



Harrowing fallows is doubtless a 

 beneficial operation. If it be done 

 two or three times between plough- 

 ings, the seeds of weeds will be en- 

 couraged to vegetate, and conse- 

 quently will be killed at the next 

 ploughing or harrowing. Thus 

 the land will become very clean 

 after a year of fallow ; and the 

 food and pasture of plants will be 



