340 On Drilling. 



ner. The ridges are all carefully ploughed in autumn, or 

 early in winter, to the exact breadth, which suits either one 

 movement of the drill machine, or two. In the spring, the 

 land is only scarified or harrowed, as it has been" rendered 

 thoroughly friable by the winter's frost, and the corn is drill- 

 ed, without a horse's foot treading any where, except in the 

 furrows between the ridges ( 137 ). Unless this practice is 

 adopted, it would be difficult, in very wet seasons, to carry 

 on the operations of the drill system, on heavy soils, with the 

 regularity and exactness that are necessary ( 13S ). 



In other parts of England, as in Kent and Hertfordshire, 

 the drilling of strong lands is practised, for winter as well 

 as spring crops ; and Mr Childe, in Shropshire, drills all 

 his crops, on the most adhesive clay, and in a hilly country, 

 with the greatest success. 



The propriety of drilling in Scotland, shall be discussed 

 in the Appendix, as, owing to the peculiarities of the soils 

 and climate of that country, it is necessary to enter more in- 

 to detail, than with reference to England. 



Besides drilling, &c. as above described, there are other 

 modes by which grain can be cultivated in rows. Sometimes, 

 by means of a drill-roller, a number of ruts are made at the 

 distance of from eight to ten inches apart, over the whole 

 of which, the seed is sown broad-cast, and swept into the 

 hollows by a brush-harrow. In this way wheat has been 

 raised on light lands, where otherwise it would have been 

 impracticable ( 139 ). 



There is another mode of cultivating wheat in rows, call- 

 ed " ribbing" ( I4 ), which is much practised in Northumber- 

 land. As soon as the ground is properly prepared, it is 

 made up into small ribs, by a single-horse plough. The 

 seed is then sown broad-cast among the ribs, or a person 

 with a barrow-drill, goes along every rib, and drops the seed 

 along the bottom, which is covered by a light harrow, drawn 

 straight up and down the ridge. In either case, the plant 

 makes its appearance nearly at the same time above ground ; 

 nor is there any difference, in this respect, between the two 

 systems. The mode of ribbing is a simpler process than 

 that of drilling; it may be executed in worse weather; the 

 expense of a drilling machine is saved ; and the crop may 

 have all the advantages of hoeing, as if it had been drill- 

 ed ( I41 ). But it does not suit all soils and rotations, or pre- 

 vious crops ; for instance, strong clayey soils cannot be suf- 

 ficiently pulverized for that purpose, nor can ribbing be suc- 

 cessfully adopted with clover ley, unless it be twice plough- 

 ed, and thoroughly harrowed. 



