56 NOTES. 



seasons, they are sometimes under the necessity of resorting to surface-sowing. 

 Mr Denny of Egmerein Norfolk, states, " That at times, every practical farmer 

 will admit, that a good seedsman may be employed to advantage, more espe- 

 cially in a backward season ; \fflag-land, (or clover layer,) the common harrow 

 to follow; if broken (or cultivated) soil, ploughing under. In a wet time, he 

 prefers sowing barley broad-cast, and to harrow in, or plough under, as the state 

 of the soil best admits of." See also Mr Grove's Letter, dated 18th October 

 1819, (Farmer's Journal). 



100 Communications from the Rev. Thomas Radcliff. This machine ha* 

 lately come into considerable use in Ireland. 



101 This seems to be a most tedious process. Why should not the plough 

 be followed by a small drill barrow, or such a barrow attached to the plough 

 itself, which would at once introduce the row culture, into all the districts where 

 the seed is covered by a furrow ? 



102 It is much to be regretted, that fallowing is far from being, in general, 

 properly conducted, in the open fields of England. Two ploughings, or at the 

 utmost three, besides the seeding earth, is all that is given. It is not to be won- 

 dered at, that deficient crops should be produced by such imperfect tillage. The 

 land, though fallowed, is generally foul, because the land is not brought into a 

 pulverized state sufficiently early to promote the germination of annual weeds, 

 and to facilitate their destruction. 



105 Extracted from the communication of Thomas Greg, Esq. of Coles, in 

 Hertfordshire to the Author, dated 7th January 1819. The above is a descrip- 

 tion of the ploughing-in system, when executed in the best manner ; but unfor- 

 tunately, that is far from being generally the case. 



104 Engravings of these ancient machines, are inserted in the Communica- 

 tions to the Board of Agriculture, vol. i. p. 352. 



105 It appears from the London Philosophical Transactions, (Lowthorp's 

 Abridgment, vol. ii. p. 738), that the Spanish " Sembrador," or drill machine, 

 was invented by a Spaniard, prior to the year 1663 ; and arguments, similar to 

 those which are now used in favour of drilling, were urged in its behalf. 



106 An experiment was tried between the drill and broad-cast husbandry, in 

 the cultivation of beans, by M. Anguste Weiland of Ostend. He dedicated 

 eighty French ares of land for that purpose, one-half of which was sown broad- 

 cast, and the other half drilled. Besides a considerable saving of seed, there 

 was an increase of produce on the drilled part, in the proportion of eleven to 

 nine. Next year the same field was sown with barley, when the produce on the 

 drilled part was likewise increased as 34 to 27. See Radclijf's Report of the 

 Agriculture of Flanders, p. 10. 



107 Communication from Mr John Shirreff. 



108 The drills of potatoes are in general much too close. In Ireland, 3| 

 feet is recommended. 



109 Phytologia, p. 441. 



1 10 Amos on Drill Husbandry, p. 190. 



1 1 1 Peas are sown at Holkham, by the common nine inch interval drill ma- 

 chine, having every third coulter and seed pipe taken out. The rows are con- 

 sequently placed alternately 9 and 18 inches apart. In the last cleaning opera- 

 tion the earthing horse-hoe is used in the 18 inch intervals. It presses the plants 

 close together in the 9 inch intervals, and earths them up as one row. A field 

 so cultivated, has a neat, clean, garden-like appearance, and generally produces 

 a good crop. 



112 General Report of Scotland, vol. i. p. 529. Mr Blaikie strongly recom- 

 mends, that the rows of peas and beans should be drawn north and south, or as 

 near that direction as possible, so that both sides of the rows may derive equal 

 advantage from the sun rays. The crop may be expected to be proportionably 

 greater, to ripen earlier, and more regularly than when the rows range east 

 and west, Pease and beans cannot well be sown too early in the season, as late 



