300 



HOE 



HOG 



dian corn, or of any thing that is 

 planted in hills, as it is vulgarly 

 called, it is best to make but one 

 furrow in an interval, and to pa.-s 

 the plough both ways, or cut the 

 ground into squares with (he 

 plouj^h, or rather with the cultiva- 

 tor. Tliis leaves the roots the 

 more room, and less work will re- 

 main to be done with the hand 

 hoe. 



If the horse be weak, or the 

 ground hard and stiff, it may be 

 needful to let the plough go twice 

 in a place, which makes four times 

 in an interval. For the plough 

 should go as deep for hoeing, as in 

 any other ploughing, or else the 

 intention of it will be partly de- 

 feated ; which is to keep that 

 quantity of soil light and mellow 

 from which the plants are to draw 

 the most of their nourishment. 



We apply horse hoeing to Indian 

 corn, when the ground is well 

 cleared from obstacles, and could 

 not be easily persuaded to neglect 

 it. Every farmer knows how 

 much it saves labour, and that (he 

 crop is increased by it. Why then 

 will they not be persuaded, by all 

 that has been experienced, and 

 written, by some of the wisest 

 farmers, to apply this method of 

 culture to many other plants ? I 

 have no doubt it might be done 

 with equal advantage, hideed, 

 we cultivate but few plants in til- 

 lage, for which this kind of culture 

 would be improper. In Europe, 

 they horse-hoe all kinds of grain, 

 and even some kinds of grasses. 



In a dry season, or in land that 

 is in no danger of ever being too 

 wet^ it is advisable to hoe only in 



the morning and evening. And if 

 farmers will work as eariv and iaie 

 as they can, the,} may afford to de- 

 sist, and rest themselves from niiie 

 till four, when the air is hottest. 

 The ground will get and retain ihe 

 more tnoisture which is thus h;>ed 

 early and late. And in the mi-Jdie 

 of some of our bot(e^t days, there 

 is danger of hurting tender plants, 

 by drawing (he scalding hot earth 

 close to their stems. But the 

 opinion entertained by many, that 

 no hoeing at all should be done in 

 a dry season, is irrational and ridic- 

 ulous. They deprive their land of 

 the benefit of the dew, by neglect- 

 ing to hoe it, suffer it to be overrun 

 with destructive weeds, which rob 

 (he plan(s of snost of their nourish- 

 m(Mi(, and allow (he ground to be 

 so compacted and hard, that the 

 rain when it comes will not pene- 

 trate it. This strange opinion will 

 occasion much loss to those whose 

 conduct is influenced bv \L 



HOGSTY, a kind of building in 

 which hogs are confiiied and fed. 

 The ways of constructing these 

 houses are various : But the best 

 are those which are framed and 

 boarded. The boards, (hat the 

 swine may not gnaw (hem to pie- 

 ces, should be of some harder wood 

 than white pine, and they should 

 be fastened with ribbings and 

 spikes. Whatever be (he con- 

 structure of sties, they should al- 

 ways have one part close and warm, 

 with a tight roof over it ; and the 

 other part open, in which the 

 trough is placed. Swine will not 

 well bear to be wholly secluded 

 from the weather and sunshine 5 

 and it is hurtful to them to have 



