416 



SPI 



SPR 



which go into the roller should be 

 ragged at the corners, to prevent 

 their coming out. The tines need 

 not be quite so strong as the teeth 

 of a harrow. The whole instru- 

 ment will weigh near a ton ; and a 

 frame is to be annexed to it, for 

 the team to draw by ; to which a 

 box may be added for the driver to 

 set on. But beware of putting a 

 wild, restiff or unmanageable team 

 to this fearful instrument. The 

 strength of four oxen or three 

 horses, will be necessary to draw it. 



The uses to which the spiky rol- 

 ler is to be applied, are, in the 

 first place, to reduce a stiff, stub- 

 born, and clotty soil, to a fine tilth 

 for sowing. This it will perform 

 with admirable expedition, by only 

 passing forwards, and back again 

 in the same track, reducing it even 

 to a perfect garden mould. And, 

 which greatly recommends it, it is 

 used to advantage when the ground 

 is too dry for ploughing ; by means 

 of which, there need not be any 

 delay in preparing land for sowing. 



" It is certainly an instrument," 

 say the compilers of the Complete 

 Farmer, " that no farm, where the 

 land is stiff, or the least liable to 

 clot, should want. For, besides 

 the constant advantage of saving 

 labour, and bringing land to a better 

 condition for any kind of sowing, 

 than the plough and harrow, with 

 any assistance of the work of hands 

 can make it; in favourable sea* 

 sons, and under such circumstances 

 as Mr. Randall has mentioned, the 

 loss of (he whole crop, by an other- 

 wise unavoidable delay beyond the 

 seed time, may be with certainty 

 prevented." 



Another important use of this in- 

 strument, is, to renew the fruitful- 

 ness of grass land, when it is so 

 bound as to be almost barren, or 

 overrun with moss and bad grasses. 

 Mr. Randall directs, that a good 

 compost be prepared ; And in 

 autumn, when the ground is a little 

 moist, that the spikes may enter 

 the soil easily, to pass the roller up 

 and down till the surface is well 

 broken : Then sow hay seeds, and 

 spread the compost over them, to 

 be followed with a smooth roller, 

 with a bush harrow after it. Thus 

 a fine sward will be renewed, and 

 good crops of the best grass will 

 follow. 



But it is obvious to remark, that 

 the surface must be pretty level, 

 and the land free from stones, to 

 admit of these operations. 



Mr. Randall also recommends 

 passing this roller in the spring, 

 over winter grain, to loosen the 

 surface, and increase vegetation, 

 and smoothing it afterwards with a 

 bush harrow. Though this may 

 seem to be a bold experiment, i 

 think it is probable it might have 

 a better effect than harrowing, 

 which is much approved by many, 

 as the tines would penetrate deeper, 

 and as the plants would be less 

 exposed to extirpation, than by the 

 horizontal motion of the harrow. 



SPRING, one of the four sea- 

 sons of the year, so called from 

 the springing or shooting up of 

 vegetables, which in the winter 

 were in a torpid state. 



This season includes, accord- 

 ing to common parlance, March. 

 April and May. It is the most 

 busy and hurrying season, for far- 



