MARCH, 145 



many instances of great crops gained in this man- 

 ner. The practice of it is various ; but whatever 

 the manner, the land should be ploughed into 

 ridges for them, according to the rows intended. 

 They have been tried in equally- distant single 

 rows, at two, three, four, and five feet. In double 

 rows, at one foot, on four-feet ridges ; the same, 

 and also three rows, on five-feet ridges. These 

 methods may have succeeded, but the wide dis- 

 tances between the single rows certainly lose too 

 much land. If equally-distant rows are used, 

 three feet are preferable. Double rows on four feet 

 have succeeded. All give the advantage of the 

 horse- hoeing culture, without losing much room. 

 Equally-distant rows, at two feet, with a neat horse- 

 hoe that turns no furrow, but only cuts the sur- 

 face of the ground, earthing up afterwards with a 

 double mould-board, have likewise succeeded. The 

 principle of introducing the horse-hoe is to save 

 some of the expence of hand- hoeing,, and at the 

 snrne time to make the crop flourish better. 

 The advocates for this husbandry acknowledge, 

 that there are more plants in the old method ; but 

 assert, that the tillage of the plough is so much 

 more effectual than that of the hand-hoe, and the 

 admission of air among the plants so much freer, 

 that the loss of number is more than made up in 

 the gain of size. It has also been said,- that horse- 

 hoeing is so effectual, that there is no occasion for 

 dung with it ; but let all good farmers be very sus- 

 picious of such assertions. If they give up the be- 



L nelits 



