#58 MARCH. 



drill- husbandry, that much attention should be paid 

 to executing it at the right moment,, and also to 

 doing it in the best manner. 



Opinions are various, and many farmers do not 

 approve of horse-hoeing at all, probably from hav- 

 ing done it too late, or too severely. Mr. Cook hajfc- 

 invented two implements applicable to this work, 

 his fixt harrow and a scarifier. The former works 

 merely by plain harrow teeth : it has three rows, 

 and, by varying the position diagonally, one, two, 

 4>r three teeth may be worked in the space of nine 

 inches, without damage to the rows of wheat. If 

 two, they may be drawn in a breadth of three 

 inches ; if three, in that of four inches, and these 

 spaces widened at pleasure, but still so as to keep 

 quite clear of the rows of wheat. By loading the 

 harrow, the teeth are forced to the proper depth. 

 The scarifier has teeth of various breadths, but for 

 working at this season between nine or twelve 

 inch rows, the narrowest are to be preferred. The 

 intention of the operation now performed is, to 

 loosen the surface earth and let in the air. The 

 hoe of the scarifier may cut two inches deep safely. 

 It will do this without raising any such surge of 

 moulds as to bury the plants, and in its motion 

 through the earth, it loosens without removing it. 

 There the air immediately penetrates, and comes 

 in contact with the roots, which, from the soil be- 

 ing moved, can spread with the greater ease. 



Another motive for hoeing is, to loosen and pul- 

 verize, the mere surface when bound by rain, or 



other 



