FARMERS' REGISTER— NOTES OF A RUSTIC. 



343 



a day. Considerino; the hciivicr draught, this was 

 not a very great gain over the ordinary work of a 

 trowel plough, wiiich I have heard stated at 4 acres, 

 in 41^ feet rows. But the hitter cuts not much more 

 than half the surface in this case, and leaves (bur 

 times as much work for the hoes, as is left by the 

 close cutting cultivators. It is impossible that any 

 thing like 4 acres of good work can be done by any 

 single hoe;l plough, drawn by one horse. 



The first running of the cultivator, is on land 

 ploughed perhaj)S three months before, and with a 

 compact surface. Then it cuts only 1 to 1 t inches 

 deep. The next time deeper — and the third will 

 probably be 3 inches, if there has l.een no heavy 

 rain to consolidate the earth. If such a rain falls, 

 the field shou'd he ploucfhed as soon as possible af- 

 ter drying, for fear of getting hard ; which ought 

 not to be permitted, even if an extra tillage is 

 thereby given — (not exceeding, however, the 6 in 

 all.) But, if the soil from neglect is permitted to 

 become hard, or foul with grass, it is in vain to try 

 the cultivators. 



I did not perceive that mv crops were better than 

 when well tended by trowel hoes, (though no accu- 

 rate experiment was ever made (iir comparison) — 

 but I was sure that they vvete as good, and the la- 

 bor of cultivation far less. There was also less 

 washing on the slopes, as the surflice was kept le- 

 vel enough for the water to flow across the plough- 

 ing, (except that in June,) and not lie confined to 

 a single deep furrow. But still it was fiir from i;e- 

 ing effectual in preserving the soil, as very heavy 

 rains would sometimes sweep off from the most 

 exposed spots, the whole deptli loosened by the cul- 

 tivator. 



All my old cleared land was tilled in this man- 

 ner for four or five years, but I was at last driven 

 from the use of the cultivator entirely, by the con- 

 currence of the sevei'al reasons, which I w ill state. 



The whole of my fields had been marled during 

 this time, and their product, on the average, more 

 than doubled, by that and other means of improve- 

 ment. One ill effect produced by making the soil 

 calcareous, was tlie general commencement of a 

 growth of either wire-grass, greensward, or blue- 

 grass, over the fields which before were too poor, 

 and unfriendly to their production, to bear either. 

 It was not that any field, or even any large portion 

 of a field, had a turf of such grasses; but small 

 spots of turf were scattered about, so that the 

 plough would scarcely run 100 yards without meet- 

 ing with more or less. A close turf of greensward 

 wouM have been troublesome — but would have 

 been well worth the trouble attending its manage- 

 ment. But the little patches of it would be moved 

 along, instead of being turned under by the plough, 

 and remained alive through the winter. The l)lue- 

 grass and wire-grass, were still less hurt by 

 ploughing. A second ploughingcould not be given 

 to harass (for it could not destroy) the spots of 

 turf, without giving it to an hundred times as much 

 clean land that did not require the ploughing, and 

 was even hurt by it, by having the dead vegetable 

 cover brought back to the surface. But whether 

 with one or two deep ploughings before planting, 

 the cultivators were quite ineffectual in these spots 

 of turf, and which were increasing in number and 

 extent every year. 



Other objections, which had always existed to 

 the cultivators, but which, when alone had been 

 submitted to, now hastened my abandoning their 



use. I have said that great attention was necessa- 

 ry in marking off the rows, and in dropping the 

 grain ; and it need not be mentioned that equal care 

 was required in the tillage Circumstances had 

 withdrawn much of my personal attention from 

 my lalior, and of course all these things were worse 

 executed. Again — the making these cultivators 

 required good saived and seasoned oak timber, (to 

 prevent splitting,) and a particular bending and 

 inclination of the teeth to the earth, for them to cut 

 well and easily. I had to depend on the mechanics 

 of my neighborhood for all this work, which was 

 badly done, at double prices. Our neighborhood 

 blacksmith was always a hired slave, and during 

 all that time no*^ one of them continued two years 

 together. I had, therefore, every spring to take 

 all the trouble necessary, to show the smith how 

 to make or repair my cultivators, and to pay dou- 

 ble jirite, because his ignorance made him take 

 doul le time. Tiiough the field work was admirable 

 when well clone, and though a good manager could 

 have removed every difficulty, except the turf 

 grasses, yet I gave up these implements, and have 

 since used the old trowel ploughs, which can get 

 through thg wire-grass, well or ill. This gives 4 

 or 5 cieep ploughings, instead of the former course 

 as described, and a deal more of hand hoeing. 



Cross ploughing, has been abandoned, to lessen 

 the washing of the soil by heavy rains; and the 

 direction of the corn rows is suited to the hilly sur- 

 face, and altered when necessary, so as not to vary 

 very much from a level ; though I neither practice 

 nor approve of Aor/zo7i/rt/ ploughing, which I have 

 t()und to be very unsuitable to the hilly land below 

 the falls of the rivers. 



iVIy late cultivation, however, has been any 

 ihing but systematic, and I am very fiir from being 

 satisfied with it. But notwithstanding the change 

 of practice, I keep the same theory of tillage in 

 view, and consider sufficient tilth, and sufficient 

 cleanness from weeds, all that is required for the 

 crop. I still avoid hilling, except where it is the 

 cheapest mode to smother the grass, instead of 

 weeiiiiig it off. 



Candor required that I should state my having 

 abandoned a mode of tillage which I recommended 

 to others — and therefore it was necessary to state 

 also, the reasons for that abandonment, which oth- 

 erwise are certainly not worth consideration. It 

 remains only for me to name the extent to which 

 I believe the flat tillage will be found useful and 

 economical. On all dry sandy soils, not infested 

 with perennial fibrous rooted grasses, it may be 

 relied on entirely : if the surface is undulating, or 

 hilly, so much the greater will be the advantage of 

 adopting this plan. As an auxiliary, it will be ad- 

 vantageous on hilly clay soils, (which however, 

 will need more of deep ploughing,) and on level 

 and even bottom lands. As the latter soils would 

 need water-furrows, of course the tillage could be 

 only in one direction. 



E. R. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 NOTES OF A RUSTIC. 



No. 2. 



In a former No. of the Register, I called the at- 

 tention of its readers to the subject of ornamental 

 trees ; and noticed a few of the most remarkable 

 belonging to this class. 



