1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



25 



arc to run; but it will ha better to niougli some- 

 what diatronally, ihat is, nearly in tlie direction 

 from coriTer 10 corner of the field. This is done 

 inorder that two successive ploughings niay not 

 be in one direction; lor the next pioughinir to be 

 given, as we shall immediately see, must ne(;cssa- 

 rily be lengthwise in ihe direction of the ridges. 

 But by devijiting from this direction with the 

 ploughing now to be given, the two successive 

 ploughiuiTs will cross each other, and thus llie til- 

 ling will be belter perlbrmed. 



No sooner is this diagonal ploughmg completed, 

 than the process of harrowing, rolling and clean- 

 ing the ground of the roots oi' vivacious weeds is 

 tol)e renewed, precisely as afier the preceding 

 ploughing. It is not necessary or expedient that 

 the process o! harrowing shall be carried further 

 than is absolutely required to disengage the 

 weeds; but to this extent it isiniportant that it be 

 carried, so that the land may now be cleaned. 



These two ploughings, with their corresiiond- 

 ino- harrowings, are of the utmost importance in 

 the management of the summer-fallow. If the 

 Vv'eather has been favorable, the Lmd may now 

 be expected to be eflectually cleaned, and thus far 

 to be in good order. Someiiiiies a lurther plough- 

 ins; may be required for the purpose ol" completing 

 the cleaning process; but whether this be so or not, 

 the land ougiit now to be lormeii into ridges. This 

 is necessary, in order to provide against tiie con- 

 tingency of' heavy rains, which, were they to oc- 

 cui-'at this period, when the land is lying in a flat 

 state, might so soak it as greatly to retard the tii- 

 ture labors. 



We now, therefore, proceed to s;ri!;e the fur- 

 rows in the manner ibrmerly explained. The 

 land is then ploughed and formed into ridges, and 

 this completes the fifih ploughing which it has re- 

 ceived. The land will gene.'-aliy be now ready to 

 have the dung laid upon it. But in some cases it 

 may require a sixth ploughing before it is suffi- 

 ciently cleaned and prepared ibr the dung. In 

 this case, the land being harrowed, and ttie re- 

 maining weeds collected as ibrmei'yj it is plough- 

 ed again in the line of the ridges. 



VVe m.ay proceed, liowever, upon the supposi- 

 tion that this further ploughing and cleaning are 

 not required, and that the land, after' the .fifih 

 ploughing, is ready for the application of the dung. 

 This may bring us, in the ordinary course of farm- 

 labor, to the month of August. 



Now the dung, according to the practice befure 

 described, has been previously led out and laid in 

 large heaps in the field, where it has undergone 

 a certain degree of ti'rmenta'.ion. Should this not 

 have taken place sufficiently, ihe heaps must be 

 turned, so that the dung may be brought to a fil 

 state ibr use. 



The dung is now conveyed to the land in carts 

 from the heaps, the carts being driven along the 

 ridges, [t is dragged out ii-om behind by the 

 workman with the dung-drag into heaps, as near- 

 ly as possible ol equal size, and at equal distances, 

 . in rov.'s along each ridge. Someiinies, to ensure 

 accuracy, the ridges are divided, by furrows run 

 across them, into rectangular spaces, each space 

 receiving its allotted quantity of dung. But in 

 general the eye and practical knowledge of the 

 workman will enable hiiPi to drag out and deposite 

 the heaps in the quantity, and Vvith the accuracy 

 tliaf may be required. 



Vol. IV— 4 



Several persons, who may be females or young 

 lads, then spread out the dung all across the ridge, 

 by means ol' light three-pronged Ibrks. 'it'liis op- 

 eration should be done witli much attention, so 

 that the dung may be sjjread regularly over the 

 ridge. 



Close upon the work of the spreaders, the 

 ploughs are to fbllov/ and cover the dung. This is 

 done by gathering the ridge, so that, while the 

 ploughing co\ers the dung, the curvature of the 

 ridge is increased. 



'i'he dung being covered in this manner, and 

 the ridge raised, the land is to remain untouched 

 for a lew weeks, so that the dung may be decom- 

 posed and incorporated with the soil. When the 

 dung ha.s been previously termented in a proper 

 manner, this incorporation will be completed in a 

 very short time. 



The land is now ready to receive what is called 

 the seed-furrow, which is the ploughing given to 

 it previous to the seeds being sown. In this 

 ploughing the ridge is again gathered, but the 

 ploughing being very shallow it has little eflect in 

 raising the ridge higher. 



Afier this final ploughing, and upon the surface 

 now exposed, the seeds, usually of wheat, are to 

 be sown, in the manner to be alterwards described. 

 Tfiis generally takes place about the middle of 

 September or later, and completes the important 

 operations of' thesummer-lallow and sowing of the 

 wheat-seeds. 



In this detail the manner of applying the dung 

 has been described; but there is likewise to be 

 considered the manner of applying lime, when 

 th s substance is to be laid upon the land in sum- 

 mer-liillow. 



There are two periods at which the lime may 

 be applied — either betore the dung is laid on, or 

 afterwards. In the former case, the lime may be 

 laid on just after the land has been Ibrmed into 

 ridges, and when it is ready to receive the 

 dung. 



The quicidime, as it is brought from the kilns, 

 may be laid down in heaps of about five carts 

 each, at regular distances, upon the head-lands or 

 where convenient. In this case, it is brought to 

 the fiimi as oppo.tunity offers, and slacked slowly 

 and regular'}'. 



V/hen we are prepared to spread it iip/on the 

 ground, a person with a broad-pointed shovel is 

 appointed to each heap. He fills his cart, drives 

 it along the ridge, and spreads the lime abroad 

 upon the surfice, taking it out with his broad- 

 pointed shovel from the cart behind; sometimes 

 two carts and two men may be appointed for each 

 heap, the one man fiilingthe cart at the heap, and 

 the other spreading the lime upon the ridge. 



Both men and horses sometimes experience in- 

 jury from the caustic effects of the Hme, especially 

 when the weather is moist. The face of the man 

 may be defended by a thin handkerchief", and the 

 back of the horse should be covered. 



When the lime is spread, the land must be im- 

 mediately harrowed, to incorporate the lime with 

 the soil. This being done, the dung is to be 

 spread upon the ground, and covered by the plough 

 in the manner before described. 



But frequently the dung is first spread, and the 

 lime is not laid on until just before giving the seed- 

 furrow. This answers very well, provided the 

 land has lain a sufficient time after the dung has 



