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IND 



ure to the atmosphere was a prin- 

 cipal cause could not be doubted ; 

 and the idea immediately present- 

 ed that if they had been cultivated 

 on ridges so far apart as to permit 

 a plough to pass, it would in efTcct, 

 be making tlie whole crop outside- 

 1-010 s : and for upwards of fifteen 

 years since, all the arable crops 

 upon my farm have been cultivat- 

 ed on ridges with manifest advan- 

 tage, — as to product, labour and 

 the nnquestioiiable improvement of 

 the soil. The ridges of beets, 

 carrots, parsnips, turnips and ruta- 

 baga are about two feet, cabbag<^s 

 four, and corn and potatoes five 

 feet and an half apart." 



" But to return to the culture of 

 corn: in describing which that of 

 potatoes must necessarily be em- 

 braced ; as I deem it wrong for two 

 crops of the same kind to succeed 

 each other, when it can well be a- 

 voided ; nevertheless, as potatoes 

 should be employed as the pioneers, 

 of a farm, and it is frequently the 

 case that cold moist or rough soils, 

 not suitable for corn, are found, 

 sufficient to be occupied by as ma- 

 ny potatoes as the farmer can well 

 manage, or may want under such 

 circumstances, the permitting two 

 crops of corn to follow 07i ridges 

 may be justifiable ; whereas in the 

 common method it should be con- 

 sidered as unpardonable. 



" If we begin the system with 

 sward land, it is broken up in the 

 autumn ; harrowed fine in the 

 spring, and light furrows run out 

 five feet and an half apart: into 

 these fiirrows potatoes are dropped 

 from six to eight inches asunder, 

 according to size, the carts follow 



and cover them with manure ; ft 

 furrow is then turned from each 

 side so as to meet over the manure, 

 a little labour with the hoe may be 

 required, to make all level and 

 complete the planting; other fur- 

 rows are turned up, and at the first 

 hoeing the baulk is cleared and 

 the ridge completed. In the sub- 

 s'-quent culture the plough ap- 

 proaches only the sides of the 

 ridgc's. and rotitinnes deepening 

 the furrow between them. The 

 following spring the ridges are re- 

 versed and placed directly over 

 those deep fiirrows. The manure 

 is turned in while the ridges are 

 forming; or by ojtening a furrow 

 on the top to receive it, with a pair 

 of oxen walking- ori each side, cov- 

 ered with hoes and the crop plant- 

 ed. If the land is in good heart, 

 and manure abundant, the kernels 

 may be six inches apart, or as ma- 

 ny dropped together as to insure 

 four stalks to remain two feet apart, 

 in which case the manure is depos- 

 ited confoimably ; either method 

 will give the same number of plants 

 to the acre ; 1 think four stalks to- 

 gether afford support to each other 

 against winds, and are not so apt to 

 send up suckers as when single, and 

 there may be some advantage by 

 concentratirig the manure, in for- 

 warding the young plants during 

 the cold seasons which we fre- 

 quently have in June; still I have 

 not had sufficient experience to 

 determine which method is prefer- 

 able ; if the land is stony, the last 

 will be found most convenient. 

 As soon as the plants appear, the 

 earth is stirred about them with the 

 hand, and ashes at the same time 



