Of Ploughing. 303 



ing are, to expose as much surface as possible to the in- 

 fluence of the atmosphere ( l3 ), and to lay the land, so that 

 the harrows may, in the most efficient manner, raise mould 

 to cover the seed, these objects are most effectually accom- 

 plished, when the furrow-slice is raised with a proper 

 shoulder, forming an angle of 45. The depth of the furrow 

 for that purpose, ought in general to bear a due proportion 

 to its breadth, that is, about two-thirds, or as six inches 

 deep are to nine broad ( I4 ). 



7. Seasons for executing the Work. 



These must greatly depend upon the soil, the state of the 

 weather, and the climate. In very dry light lands, it is ad- 

 visable, that ploughing should be carried on in damp wea- 

 ther, particularly the last ploughing, and the sowing of the 

 seed ( l5 ). On the other hand, soils, of so retentive a na- 

 ture, as to hold water much more wRjuantity than is useful 

 to vegetation, ought to be ploughed in a medium state, nei- 

 ther wet nor dry. When perfectly dry, they will not plough 

 at all, being so hard and tenacious ; and if ploughed when 

 wet, the land is ruined by poaching, and plastering ; hard 

 clods are formed, which it is very difficult afterwards to re- 

 duce ; and a whole crop may consequently be lost. This 

 circumstance, renders the cultivation of clayey soils extreme- 

 ly difficult. 



In Great Britain, where the winter is long, and the spring 

 shorter than in many other countries, the operations of agri- 

 culture must be expeditiously conducted; hence it is a good 

 rule, to divide the labour of ploughing, as much as possible, 

 between harvest, winter and spring. All corn stubbles 

 therefore, (which are without clover or other seeds), should 

 be ploughed as soon after harvest as the other work of the 

 farm can permit, and thus put into a state for receiving be- 

 nefit from the winter frosts, and to be ready for spring cul- 

 ture, on the system of scarifying, to be afterwards described 

 (Sect.3.)('<). 



8. The Hours of Working. 



Where the arrangement of farm labour is properly regu- 

 lated, plough-horses should always work two journeys or 

 yokings in the day, except in the shortest days, when they 

 are not unyoked, but have a feed in the field at noon, by 

 which any loss of time, in travelling to and from the stable, 



