1836] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



163 



all carefully ploughed in autumn, or early in win- 

 ter, to the exact breadth, wliich suits either one 

 movement of the drill maciiiiie, or two. In the 

 spring, the land is only scarifii'Ll or liarrowed, as it 

 has been rendered thoroughly friable by the win- 

 ter's frost, and the corn is drilled, without a horse's 

 foot treading any where, except in the furrows 

 between the ridges. Unless tliis practice is adopt- 

 ed, it would be dilHcult, in very wet seasons, to 

 carry on the operations of the drill system, on hea- 

 vy soils, with the regularity and exactness that arc 

 necessary. 



In other parts of Enixland, as in Kent and Ilcrt- 

 fcrdshire, the drilling of strong lands is practised, 

 for winter as well as spring crops; and Mr. Childr, 

 in Shropshire, drills all his crops, on the most ml- 

 liesive clay, and in a liilly country, with the great- 

 est success. 



The propriety of drilling in Scotland, shall be 

 discussed in the Appendix, as, owing to the pe- 

 culiarities of the soils and climate of that country, 

 it is necessary to enter more into detail, than with 

 reference to England. 



Jiesides drillinir, &c. as above described, there 

 are other modes by which grain can be cultivated 

 in rnws. Sometimes, by means of a drill-roller, a 

 number of ruts are made at the distance of from 

 eight to ten inches apart, over the whole of which, 

 the seed is sown broad cast, and swept into the 

 hollows by a brush-harrow. In this way whear 

 has been raised on light lands, where otherwise it 

 would have been impracticable. 



There is another mode of cultivating wheat in 

 rows, called "r(W(/ig-," which is much jiracticed 

 in Northumberland. As soon as the ground is pro- 

 perly prepared, it is made up info small ribs, bj' a 

 single-horse plough. The seed is tlven sown, 

 broad-cast among the ribs, or a person with a bar- 

 row-drill, goes along every rib, and drops the seed 

 along the bottom, which is covered by a light 

 harrow, drawn straight up and down the ridge. 

 In either case, the plant makes its appearance 

 nearly at the same lime above ground; nor is there 

 any difference, in this respect, between the two 

 systems. The mode of ribbinsc is a simpler process 

 tlian that of drilling; it may he executed in worse 

 weather; the expense' of a drilling machine is 

 saved; and the crop may have all tlie advantages 

 of hoeing, as if it had been drilled. Hut it does 

 not suit all soils and rotations, or previous crops; 

 for in.?tance, strong clayey soils cannot be suffi- 

 ciently pulverized for that purpose, nor can rib- 

 bing be successfully adopted with clover ley, un- 

 less it be tvvice ploughed, and thoroughly harrow- 

 ed. 



To these however, who are accustomed to plough 

 m their seed, the drill barrow, either attached to 

 the plough, or fiillowing ii in the furrow, pushed 

 on by a boy, would at once establish the row-cul- 

 ture, without difficulty, and with little expense, 

 over an extensive tract of cultivated land in 

 England. The advantage of this simple im- 

 provement, can hardly be sufficiently appreciated. 

 Jlnmial weeds would be extirpated, and root 

 weeds checked: and without dwelling on flie im- 

 mediate advantages of tjie system, the observa- 

 tion is perlL'ctly well founded "were it even ad- 

 mitted, that drilled crops are not at first superior to 

 the broad-cast, (the contrary of which has been 

 found in numerous instances,) yet in a successsion 

 of years, the progressive effects of constant hoe- 



ing, will render the drilled ones greatly superior." 

 The cultivation of culmiferous crops in rows, 

 maytherelore be justly accounted, the best method 

 liiiherto known, of raising crops of corn; and by 

 promoting at the same time, the destruction of 

 weeds, of preserving the fertility of the soil. 



It is an additional reason for recommending 

 drilling, that it would lead to habits of accuracy 

 and neatness in all the other branches of arable 

 culture; whereas broad-cast sowing, encourages 

 those slovenly i)ractices, which still prevail but too 

 generally in farming concerns. There is every 

 ■ reason indeed to believe, that the system -would 

 become general, where it once admitted to be an 

 j entahl'ishcd maxim, (which the information above 

 I detailed sufficientlyjusiifics,) that drilling corn, like 

 drillino; turnips, is superior to broadcast. Farmers 

 would then prepare for it, by flirnisliing themselves 

 with the necessary implements, and by dressing and 

 cleansing the, soil, with peculiar and minute atten- 

 tion. There might still be some excej)tions, as on 

 very strong clays, or in very unfavorable seasons; 

 but tliese exceptions, as in the case of drilling tur- 

 nips, would become every day less numerous. Our 

 fields would then be cultivated with the same reg- 

 ularity and neatness as our gardens, and would 

 become equally produaiive. 



On the whole, such is the importance of the 

 drill s}'stem, that its general adoption ought to be 

 promoted as liir as is practicable. JNIodels or en- 

 gravings of" tlie simplest, and best machines, and 

 directions for their use, ought everywhere to be 

 circulated, and liberal encouragement given to 

 those, who will prove, by accurate experiments, in 

 districts where it is at present either entirely un- 

 known, or but little practised, the utility of the 

 system, and the profit to be derived from it. Ey 

 (he extension of drilling, inferior soils might soon 

 he rendered nearly as productive as those natural- 

 ly more fertile. In many cases also, by the intro- 

 duction of this system, naked fallows might be 

 abolishi''d, where at preS'ent they are unnecessa- 

 rily pnl-.lised; and by these means, a treasure of 

 solid and permanent wealth, in useflil and valua- 

 ble produce, might be rapidly spread, over the 

 whole surllice of the countiy. 



Frnm tlie [Eiliiiljiii-gli] Fanner's Masazine. 

 ox THE MAKING AND CURING OF BUTTKR. 



Extract from an Essay by William Aiton, Esq. 



The directions giveii by 3'our correspondent as 

 to mil1c-houses, appear to me to be correct; and I 

 humbly suggest, that the proprietors should pro- 

 vide their tenants in proper milk and dairy-houses, 

 I see no reason, however, for placing such houses 

 far from either the kitchen or the byre, or entirely 

 separated from the other buildings; provided that 

 the effluvia from the byre do not re;\ch the milk- 

 house. When at a distance from the byre, the 

 milk may be injured by exposure to the weather, 

 in passing from the byre to the, milkhouse. The 

 milkhouse ought fo be screened as much as possi- 

 ble from the heat of the sun, to be roofed with 

 turf and thatch, and by no means with slates or 

 tiles. The rays of the sun should never be al- 

 lowed to enter the milkhouse. 



Your correspondent observes correctly, that the 

 cream and milk should be passed through a sieve 



