On Drilling. 33T 



It is also contended, that the drill machine does not an- 

 swer where the soil is too full of small stones, which may 

 prevent the coulters from sinking to a proper depth, so 

 that the seed may not be sufficiently covered, to pro- 

 duce an abundant crop ; but Mr Wilkie of Wimpole main- 

 tains, that there is no difficulty in drilling stony land, pro- 

 vided a proper drill machine, called " a lever drill" is made 

 use of. The levers can be " weighted" at pleasure, and thus 

 will answer in almost any soil, however stony, because that 

 sort of soil is generally loose below, and better to drill on 

 than even heavy cloddy land. The seed also will stand a 

 better chance of being covered. 



The introduction of the drill system is, by many of 

 the most distinguished agriculturists, considered to be the 

 most important of all modern improvements, and to be well 

 entitled to universal adoption. It is principally recom- 

 mended on the following grounds : 1. That the broad-cast 

 system is a less perfect, and a less economical mode of cul- 

 tivation, than that of drilling, for the seed can neither be 

 deposited in the soil, with the same exactness in regard to 

 depth, regularity, or proportion ( II8 ), nor be so placed, that 

 the crop can afterwards be improved in its progress to ma- 

 turity ( II9 ); 2. That in light soils, drilling has the important 

 advantage, of giving the grain a good hold of the ground, 

 and of giving all the seed the same depth of soil( li0 ), by 

 which the frost is prevented from throwing out the plants in 

 spring, or the wind from loosening the roots, after the stem 

 gets high, or when the ear is filling; 3. That the plants of 

 wheat in drills, protect each other through the winter, and 

 hence, that a field in drills, will be more forward in spring, 

 and sooner ready at harvest, than a field sown broad -cast ; 

 4. That by the improved practices in drilling, the use of ma- 

 nures, (rape cake in particular), is both encouraged and 

 economized, so as to diminish the quantity necessary, and 

 to increase its powers, by bringing it into immediate contact 

 with the plant ( Iai ) ; and that a heavy crop of drilled corn, 

 where the weeds are thoroughly destroyed, will be found 

 much less injurious to the fertility of the soil, though raised 

 with less manure, than the same crop grown broad-cast, 

 with a greater quantity of manure, but encumbered with 

 weeds ; 5. That it gives an opportunity for cleansing the 

 ground, even when the crop is growing ; of completely ex- 

 tirpating annual weeds ; of checking the growth of root- 

 weeds ; and of preventing weeds in general, from being in- 

 jurious to the crop; 6. That if the land is not hoed, but 



