Of Scarifying. 3 IT 



mellow surface, which cannot be regained after a spring 

 ploughing, are lost. There is also the risk of rain during 

 the operation, which, in many instances, puts the land so 

 much out of good condition, as to render the chance of a 

 crop very precarious. 



The farmers in the Carse of Gowrie however, do not 

 think the system applicable to their strong soils. They are 

 of opinion, that it is impossible to keep the ground clean, 

 and in such good order for a succession of crops, without 

 spring ploughing. But the scarifying system goes upon the 

 idea, that the ground upon which either barley or oats is 

 proposed to be sown, has been previously cleared of weeds, 

 either by a summer fallow, or by some cleansing crop, as 

 beans ; and does not depend upon any process to be admi- 

 nistered, in the course of that very spring, on which the grain 

 crop is to be sown. 



The scarifier, with some improvements, being now esta- 

 blished in the Lothians, under the name of " grubber" (f^), 

 there can be no doubt, that so beneficial a practice will 

 spread, as much as the nature of the Scotch system of hus- 

 bandry will admit of it, where oats generally succeed grass, 

 which, in backward seasons, cannot begot ploughed sooner 

 than February or March, in which case, the plan cannot be 

 adopted. In regard to the ground that has carried turnips, 

 and has been fed with sheep, it has been found, that scarify- 

 ing is preferable to ploughing, for the succeeding crop. 



With respect to England, it is maintained in several dis- 

 tricts, that spring crops may be successfully sown without 

 spring ploughing : that the land may be sufficiently stirred 

 and pulverized by the scarifier or grubber ( 5 ^; that it is of 

 very great consequence, to expose a strong clay soil to the 

 winter frosts, (which can only be done by ploughing in 

 autumn, or the beginning of winter) ; the benefit of which 

 practice would be lost, if that part of the soil, that had been 

 meliorated by the frost and the atmosphere, were plough- 

 ed clown. They consider it as absurd to bury the dry fri- 

 able porous surface, which the frosts have left in so favour- 

 able a state, and upon which, if rain falls, no plastering en- 

 sues, as it dries speedily, and remains in a porous state ; 

 but which, if ploughed in spring, is often so impregnated 

 with moisture, that if worked, it plasters, and the north-east 

 winds harden it like stone. The plan, however, requires to 

 be skilfully conducted to insure success. Mr Blaikie recom- 

 mends, that the implements used should be worked length- 

 wise along the ridges, and immediately before the sowing. 



