On Paring and Burning. 241 



deep, and burnt the whole furrow ; and with the ashes, he 

 manured not only the land pared, but as much more ( 301 ). 

 This, however, was rather burning the soil, than paring and 

 burning the surface. 



4. Modes of burning the Sods. When the sod or turf is 

 pared by any of these means, it is dried preparatory to burn- 

 ing. This is commonly done by letting the sods lie for se- 

 veral days, as the paring implement left them, thus drying 

 their earthy side ; then turning the grassy side upwards for 

 two or three days; and if more drying should be necessary, 

 they are placed for a day or two on their edges, two sods sup- 

 porting each other, by which both sides may dry at the same 

 time. The burning process may be facilitated, in moist sea- 

 sons and climates, by the use of portable furnaces, made of 

 old iron hoops of the following figure and dimensions : 



A g g g g g_A 



B j) a IL B 



15 g g g g g 



The two rods, A and B, lie flat on the ground. The 

 small hoops, g and g, are rivetted on them. The implement 

 is four feet long, and so light, that a boy can carry it. Turf, 

 after being dried a few hours, may thus be burnt ; for if it be 

 laid on the top of the apparatus, with the grass side down- 

 wards, the opening left, through which the air passes, ne- 

 cessarily encourages the operation of burning. 



In general, however, the sod or turf is burnt, either in 

 small heaps, in large ones, or spread on the surface. 



It is most convenient for the workmen, to collect the sods 

 in small heaps on the field, ten or twelve feet apart, and to 

 fire the heaps by a few red-hot ashes, taken from the heaps 

 that had been previously fired. 



Mr Boys strongly recommends large heaps, each contain- 

 ing twenty cart-loads, as more advantageous than small ones. 

 There would thus be more inside. If properly conducted, 

 more of the inside of the heap would be converted, by the 

 smothering process, into a carbonaceous substance, by which 

 the ashes acquire more fertilizing properties ( 3oZ ). 



In one instance, instead of the sward being collected into 

 heaps, it was burnt all over the surface ( 3 3 ), in the state in 

 which it was left by the paring spade, and merely charred, 

 instead of being reduced into ashes. This plan was attend- 

 ed with the best effects; for though the former produce was 

 merely heath and ling, yet the ground yielded spontaneous- 



