218 



Hints for March. — Narrowing — Rotlhu 



Vol. II 



drains for the water, therefore multiply your 

 drains, by narrowing your lands, or ridges, 

 according to the moisture of your soil; and 

 BO vice versa. This is the best, if not only 

 method of equalizing moist and wet lands. 



3. In ploughing high bills, aixl steep ac- 

 clivities, it is generally practised to plough 

 directly up and down, with a furrow both 

 ways: (up and down,) this is attended with 

 two evils; 1st, it is very fatiguing to the 

 team to carry a furrow up the hill; and 2d, 

 it exposes the lands to. be washed, and gulli- 

 ed in the furrows, which is sometimes ruin- 

 ous. 



4. These evils may be remedied by carry- 

 ing a furrow down the hill only, and by in- 

 clining this furrow to the left liand, directly 

 in proportion to the descentof the declivity — 

 and suffering the team to re-ascend the hill 

 without a furrow. This will lessen your day's 

 work, not one half, but about one third, be- 

 cause your team will travel so much filter, 

 both up and down the hill, when they carry 

 but one furrow. — In this way, the steepest 

 hills may be ploughed without a single I'ur- 

 row left open to the wash, except the last 

 one,, arid the saving in the strength of the 

 team, and in the value of the crop, which 

 will arise from the extra goodness of the 

 ploughing, will doubly compensate for the 

 loss of time. In this way, the steepest hills, 

 on which cattle can travel, may be ploughed 

 to advantage, by striking tlie furrows trans- 

 versely, or in a direction inclined to the left 

 hand, directly in proportion to the steepness 

 of the declivity. 



5. In this way, one third or one h.->lfthe 

 strength of team will perform the work. 



6. Where the descent is gentle, and not 

 exposed to wash, let your ridges range ex- 

 actly with the descent, that the surplasRge 

 of moisture may pass off easy, and regular, 

 in the furrows. 



7. If your business drives, and yo«r land 

 is light, you may fully compensate for the 

 loss of time by widening your furrow slice: 

 your plough-share v.-ill cut one fourth, one 

 third, or even one half more, than in plough- 

 ing directly up and down, according to the 

 steepness of the declivity, and the obliquity 

 of your furrows. 



8. All this, together with the general width 

 of your furrow slice, must depend upon the 

 judgment of the husbandman, directed by the 

 quality of the soil. If the soil is hard and 

 stiff, cut narrow ; but if it is liglit and loose, 

 cut your furrow slice as wide as the share 

 will cut clean, and no further;- all beyond 

 tliis is cut, and cover, which is bad plougii- 

 ing. 



9. Plough all your lands as much as possi- 

 ble when the dew is on, in the morning, es- 

 pecially sandy, or light loamy lands, (when 



ploughed in summer,) and even in moist 

 weather, if the season is dry ; but as a gene- 

 ral rule, improve a dry time, both for your 

 ploughing, hoeing, and for your seed-time; 

 your crops will always repay your attention, 

 some extraordinaries in youi* soil excepted, 

 and the surface will derive most benefit i'rom 

 the liarrow in diy weather. 



HARROWING. 



No instrument of husbandry requires the 

 judgment of the farmer more than the har- 

 row: it is capable of doing the most good,, 

 and hurt, at tlie same time, of any other in- 

 strument. 



1. The harrow ,.in field husbandry, answers 

 to the rake in gardening, and cannot be made 

 to pulverize your tillage lands loo fine; but 

 if this is done after your seeds are sown, it 

 will cover them often too deep, and thus iiv 

 jure your crop; avid in flax and hemp, oflen 

 double the labor and expense in pulling; and 

 in your grass seeds, by covering too deep, 

 will destroy their growth. 



2. Make it a general rule to level, and pul- 

 verize, as much as is necessary with the har- 

 row, before you cast your seed, and then' 

 cover lightly with the harrow, according to^ 

 the hardness, or stiffness of the soil — when 

 the lands are liglit, once over will answer ^ 

 but when they are stiff, twice may be ne- 

 cessary. 



ROLLING. . 



The field Roller is an instrument maeh 

 used in Europe, and in some parts of our 

 own country; and its good effects much ex- 

 tolled by the best writers, and upon the ibl»- 

 lowing principles, viz. 



1. When used upon sward ground broken 

 up for corn, it compresses the furrows to tlis 

 earth beneath, and thus it guards the corn 

 against the effects of droughts, by ecjualizing 

 the moisture. 



2. When used upon a stiff soil,, it breaks 

 clods, and thus pulverises that surface which- 

 could nsyt bedone v/ith tlie harrow. 



3. When used upon stony grounds laid 

 down to mowing, it presses the stones into- 

 the earth even with the sartace, at the same 

 time that it breaks the clods, and thus pre- 

 pares the way for the scythe in a cheap, and 

 easy mediiod.. 



4. When used upon a light, sandy, or 

 lonmy soil,.a't seed-time, it gives permanence, 

 and consistence to the surface, which guards 

 against drougiit. 



^5. When used in the spring, upon such 

 winter grains as are ex'posed to be winter- 

 killed, by ^he heaving of the frosts, it presses 

 the eartli to their roots and thus secures the 

 crops. 



These and many other advantages are as- 

 cribed to the roller; but upon this sabject 1 



