316 Of Ridging. 



of the ploughman or the cattle. By this plan, no part of 

 the soil is forcibly turned against the acclivity ; but it is so 

 contrived, that, on returning down the hill, the furrows fall 

 freely from the plough, and thus every inch of the soil is 

 perfectly turned over. These diagonal ridges, are likewise 

 extremely favourable to the cartage of both produce and 

 manure. If there be soil enough, any ground, however 

 steep, may be cultivated on this principle, and by this mode, 

 land may be ploughed, which would otherwise be impracti- 

 cable ( 4 *f. 



On this subject, it is farther to be observed, that the ridges 

 should be directed north and south, if the ground will per- 

 mit. By this means, the east and west sides of a ridge, have 

 the influence of the sun equally divided between them ; and 

 the crops which they produce, will ripen at the same time ( 4 *). 



SECT. III. Of Scarifying ', and putting in Crops without 

 Ploughing. 



IT is remarked by an eminent author, that if one plough- 

 ing to the full depth be given, once in 12, 18, or 24 months, 

 shallow tillage afterwards, by scaling, scarifying, scuffling, 

 skimming, or broad-sharing, is, in many cases, preferable 

 to frequent deep-working, more especially for wheat, which 

 loves a firm bottom ( 4 ). 



This doctrine, if not carried to an extreme, is, in particu- 

 lar cases, entitled to the attention of the practical farmer. 



It appears, that the system of sowing upon the winter 

 furrow, was adopted in Scotland many years ago, and was 

 strongly enforced by Lord Kames, in his Gentleman Far- 

 mer, printed in 1776. He there proposed, that the surface 

 should be pulverized by a strong harrow, the scarifier or 

 grubber being then unknown in the Lothians ( 4 ^f). 



The practice of sowing on the winter furrow, both oats 

 and barley, has been followed with much advantage, in the 

 counties of East Lothian, Kincardine, Dumfries, and Rox- 

 burgh, and the crops have always been more certain, and 

 much more abundant, especially when a dry spring and 

 summer took place. It thence evidently appears, that 

 ploughing lands in spring, when sufficiently clean, and pre- 

 pared before winter, is an unnecessary increase of labour 

 for oats, and in many cases for barley ( 4 &) ; that turning up 

 a clay soil, at that season of the year, is a dangerous and 

 precarious operation ; and that all the advantages of a fine 



