162 OF RIDGING. 



are found a sufficient number to cut the grain, the centre 

 one making ropes or bands for all the three, and none of 

 them having far to go to lay in the corn they cut down : at 

 the same time, where the crop is abundant, it is the most 

 approved custom in East Lothian, to put four reapers upon 

 such a ridge, and to cause two of them to lay the corn in- 

 to one band, or, in other words, to have two rows of bands 

 upon one ridge. In no other way will sheaves be made of 

 a small size, and small sheaves are an important matter, es- 

 pecially in a wet harvest. It is a circumstance strongly in 

 favour of an 18 inch ridge, that a farmer, near Dalkeith, 

 who had been induced to try, on two different fields of 12 

 acres each, ridges of 10, and even 15 feet, was convincedj 

 he said, by dear-bought experience, of his mor, and had them 

 all made up again into 18 feet ridges, twice gathered, and 

 with his former good success. A neighbour of his, after 

 several years trial, was obliged to adopt the same practice. 



But though Mr Brown of Markle concurs with other 

 eminent agriculturists, in preferring 18 feet ridges in wet 

 or clayey soils, yet where the soil is deep enough to bear 

 three gatherings from the flat, without sustaining injury, 

 he is of opinion that a breadth of 24 feet may be adopted 

 with advantage. Indeed, a great many of the ridges straight- 

 ed by Mr Brown, are of that size. 



On very dry porous turnip soils, it is of little importance, 

 as has been already observed, whether ridges are formed 

 at all, unless to regulate the sowing and cutting down in 

 harvest.* An intelligent farmer in Dumfries-shire, (Mr 

 Church of Hitchill), when the soil is dry, has his ridges in 

 general 30 feet wide ; and Mr Rennie of Oxwell Mains, 

 considers 30 feet to be the proper width in such soils, as it 

 saves time in ploughing, having fewer furrows to clean 

 out in the finishing the ridge; it also saves time in the 



* Remark by Mr Hunter of Tynefield. 



