158 OF RIDGING, 



long, it becomes more difficult to sow, and it has a tenden- 

 cy to discourage the reapers.* 



2. The Breadth of Ridges. This is a subject on which 

 there is a great diversity of opinion. As the question is of 

 great importance, it may not be improper to state the rea- 

 sons urged in favour of the different sizes, leaving the read- 

 er to judge, from the statements laid before him, which 

 ought to be preferred, according to the peculiar circum- 

 stances of his soil and climate. 



On wet land, a correspondent recommends ridges eight 

 feet broad, to be ploughed crown and'furrow. It is not ne- 

 cessary, he contends, in that breadth, to clean out the fur- 

 row; for there may be kft, without any loss, a narrow- 

 slice, which would require another bout of the plough to 

 finish. This is easily torn asunder by the harrow. There 

 is a certain loss in cleaning out every furrow in the finish- 

 ed ridges, on wet land, unless one horse is yoked before the 

 other, as the horses must unavoidably trample the land on- 

 each side the furrow, and the water lodges in their foot- 

 steps, f 



In some parts of Roxburghshire, 14 feet ridges are pre- 

 ferred, both for expedition in reaping, and regularity of 

 sowing ; and a most respectable farmer in that country 

 states, that when a young man, he was accustomed, for 

 many years, to sow a great part of his own farm, and if 



* Mr Dudgeon of Prora remarks, that upon a long ridge, the idea of 

 ploughing wheat in, or under, upon wet soils, is strongly objected to, as 

 the land must be greatly poached by the operation of ploughing, more es- 

 pecially where the ridges are small. 



f I am informed, however, that it is not uncommon to take up the last 

 furrow with one horse. The utility of clearing out the furrows, o'n wet 

 soils, is self-evident. Indeed, what is the use of a furrow between ridges 

 in tcet soil, if it be not cleaned out so that the water may escape ? 



