HOE 



HOE 



199 



Hilling excessively is hurtful, as 

 it does not pernnit the roots to 

 have so much benefit from the 

 rains, and too much hinders the 

 influence of the sun upon the low- 

 ermost roots. Whatever hilling is 

 done, should be done by little and 

 little, at several hoeings, that the 

 roots may gradually and easily ac 

 commodate themselves to the al- 

 teration of their condition. Lastly, 

 frequent hoeing serves to prevent 

 the standing of water on the sur- 

 face, so as to chill the ground, and 

 check all fermentation in it. 



When all the hoeing between 

 rows of plants is performed with 

 the hand hoe, the labour is severe, 

 and more expensive to the owner; 

 and the plants will on the whole, 

 receive far less advantage from 

 hoeing. Therefore, where land 

 is tolerably free from obstacles, I 

 would earnestly recommend that 

 the hoe plough, or the common 

 horse plough, which answers near- 

 ly the same end, be much used ; 

 and the earth stirred with it to a 

 good depth, and frequently, during 

 the proper season of hoeing, which 

 is the former |)art of summer, but 

 varies with respect to different 

 crops. 



A plough, called a cultivator, 

 has been constructed, with two 

 mouldboards, which turns the 

 mould both ways at once, towards 

 each of the two rows between 

 which it passes. But, as it re- 

 quires more than one horse to 

 draw it in stiffground, two furrows 

 made with a hoe plough, or horse 

 plough, according to the customary 

 practice, may answer full as well. 

 When the soil is light and mellow, 



it will be a saving of time to use 

 this cultivator; and the work will 

 be done with more regularity and 

 neatness, if guided with skill and 

 due care. 



The usual method of horse hoe* 

 ing is as follows: At the tirst hoe- 

 ing, turn the furrows from the rows, 

 so that they form a veering, or 

 ridge, in the intervals between the 

 rows. The plough should pass as 

 near to the rows as may be with- 

 out danger of eradicating or dis- 

 turbing the plants ; for it is best 

 that the soil be loosened as near 

 to the roots as possible: Because 

 when they are tender and weak, 

 they will extend their roots but 

 little ; and there will be no oppor- 

 tunity afterwards of ploughing and 

 stirring the earth so near to them, 

 without too much danger of tear- 

 ing and injuring their roots. After 

 ploughing, the rows are to be 

 cleared of weeds with the hand 

 hoe, and a little fresh earth brought 

 into contract with them. 



At the next hoeing, and all after 

 hoeings, in our common husban- 

 dry, the furrows are to be turned 

 towards the rows, so as to form a 

 henting, or trench, in the middle 

 of each interval ; and cross the 

 furrows last made, that the land 

 may be the more thoroughly pul- 

 verized. This operation carries 

 the share of the plough farther from 

 the roots, and at the same time af- 

 fords plenty of fresh earth about 

 the plants ; which must be finished 

 with the hand hoe. But if, in 

 ploughing, any of the plants should 

 chance to be covered, they must 

 be set free without delay. 



At the last hoeing, either of In- 



