OF PLOUGHING. 229 



then must not the waste of time be in small paddocks, and 

 when four or perhaps five horses are yoked one after the 

 other ? 



It may be proper also to observe, that some farmers, 

 convinced of the advantages of frequent ploughing, keep 

 an extra stock for that purpose. Mr Andrew of Tillilumb 

 states, that he constantly keeps four pair of work-horses, 

 and generally, in spring and autumn, has been in the cus- 

 tom of making up a fifth pair for harrowing, by yoking a 

 saddle-horse and young colt.* This is rather more than is 

 usually kept on farms of such an extent, (112 Scotch, or 

 14-2 English acres), but he has an advantage by it, being 

 thus enabled to dress his land more completely; and the 

 frequent ploughings, he finds, effectually prevent the de- 

 predations of the slug-snail. 



Here it may not be improper to take notice of a system 

 long practised in East Lothian, that of spring-sowing, 

 without spring-ploughing, and which Lord Kames, in his 

 Gentleman Farmer, first printed anno 1776, has strongly 

 recommended.* Mr Wight of Ormiston, for twenty-five 

 years past, has been in the practice of sowing barley and 

 oats upon the winter-furrow, . and with much advantage, 

 the crops being always more certain and more abundant. 



* " The preferable method for sowing oats, and especially in a clay 

 soil, is to turn the field over after harvest, and to lay it open to the in- 

 fluences of frost and air, which lessens the tenacity of clay, and reduces 

 it to a fine mould. The surface-soil by this means is finely mellowed for 

 the reception of the seed ; which it zcoutd be a pity to bury by a second 

 ploughing before sowing. We are taught by experience, that tin's soil, 

 ploughed before winter, is sooner dry than when the ploughing is delay- 

 ed till spring ; and as early sowing is a great advantage, -any objection 

 on account of the superficial crusting, is easily removed by a strong har- 

 row, which would produce abundance of mould for covering the seed.'' 

 Kamefs Gentleman Fanner, p. 95 and 9f>. 



