SIMPLE OPERATIONS OF TILLAGE. 55 



moisture from the sub-soil. Hence our crops, in a dry season, 

 suffer more on greensward than on old ground. 



"There is no danger in laying the greensward furrow too 

 flat, if turned, as it always should be, when the grass is green; 

 that and the roots soon begin to decay, and in our summer 

 months your horses will break through the sod in passing, and 

 demonstrate to you that the furrow does not lie close enough. 



"The advantages arising from this mode are, we cover up 

 and set to fermenting the whole mass of vegetable matter that 

 covered the soil we destroy all the noxious weeds we ren- 

 der the surface smooth and much more easy to manage, and 

 we avoid making loose and broken sods in seeding down to 

 grass for the furrow thus laid flat should never be disturbed 

 till a new breaking up after a course of grass crops. If seeded 

 down to grass in this state it will not lie so heavy, and will not 

 want to be disturbed again so soon as if it had been completely 

 pulverized before seeding. Ploughs for our plains should, 

 therefore, be made long they run more steady and cut the 

 furrows more true: and it is not greensward only that should 

 be turned flat stubble land, weedy lands, and cornhills, should 

 be turned flat, and that only once till the matter turned under- 

 neath is decomposed. In preparing corn land for spring sow- 

 ing, therefore, a heavy harrow should be first used. Make 

 the surface as level as possible with this, then let the plough 

 turn the soil once over and no more before sowing. This fur- 

 row may be as fine as you choose, but when once you have 

 turned this mass of stalks, of weeds, and grass underneath, it 

 is absurd to disturb it during the same week or month we do 

 much injury by ploughing too often we undo our own work." 



A practice has long prevailed in almost every country, of 

 forming the ground into what are termed RIDGES, so as to 

 admit of the water which falls upon its surface finding a ready 

 egress. This method is deemed necessary in all moist or wet 

 countries; and even in lands so dry that little or no injury will 

 result from stagnating water: such ridges are generally formed 

 on account of their convenience in the different works of til- 

 lage. 



The, direction of ridges must generally be regulated by the 

 sloping of the fields, and the lying of ditches and fences, so 

 that they may promote the main purpose for which they are 

 formed, the carrying off of surface water. But, other circum- 

 stances being alike, they should be made to lie as much as pos- 

 sible north and south; and never, when it can be avoided, east 

 and west; for, in the latter case, when the ridges are much 

 elevated, the north side has a somewhat less favourable expo- 

 sure than the south side. 

 6* 



