350 OF THE SOWING OF SEED. 



by the head-ridges, which have not been drilled. He drills 

 at the width of ten inches apart, and gives three firlots 

 of seed, either of oats or wheat, per Scotch acre. He does 

 not think that wider intervals would answer. 



An intelligent farmer near Arbroath, (Mr Rennie of 

 Kinblethmont"), states it as his opinion, that the drill sys- 

 tem ought to be adopted, wherever turnips, potatoes, 

 beans, or even peas, are sown ; the intervals not less than 

 twenty-seven inches, regularly horse-hoed, and the rows 

 hand-weeded by women; which, if properly executed, 

 leaves the ground in as good order as if it had undergone 

 a naked fallow. None of the above-mentioned crops can 

 be cultivated to advantage broad-cast ; for in case of its 

 failure, the ground is sure to be left in a wretched state 

 indeed. In case of the soil being light, and much infested 

 with annual weeds, the drill system may with great pro- 

 priety be adopted with wheat, barley, and oats; but in 

 that case the intervals should not exceed from nine to 

 twelve inches, to be either hand-hoed, or done with a ma- 

 chine made for the purpose. The seed to be deposited by 

 a sowing-machine, and the grass-seeds covered in with the 

 last hoeing, which answers perfectly well. 



An account of a new mode of drilling beans, on light 

 soils, by T. A. Knight, Esq., and a new system of cultiva- 

 ting corn crops in drills, by Mr Beattie of MofFat, will be 

 given in the Appendix.* 



The following, on the whole, seems to be the result that 

 may be drawn from this important discussion. 



That turnips ought to be drilled in all cases. Indeed, as 

 Mr Shirreff remarks, the greater facility afforded by the 

 drill mode of culture, of simplifying and expediting hand- 

 labour, the more regular and correct adjustment of the 



See the Appendix, Numbers XXVI and XXVII. 



