Raising Crops of Grain. 39 



No. IX. 



ACCOUNT OF AN IMPROVED MODE OF RAISING CROPS OF GRAIN, BY 

 MEANS OF A DRILL-BARROW. 



THE most general modes of depositing the seed in the ground, at 

 present, are : 1. Sowing it broadcast on the surface ; and, 2. By a drill 

 machine. The advantages and disadvantages of both these modes 

 have been already explained ; but it is here proposed, to give a short 

 account of a new mode of sowing, by a drill-barrow, an engraving 

 of which is annexed. For a number of years, it has been the prac- 

 tice in East Lothian, to sow beans by such a machine ; and several 

 experiments were successively tried, of sowing wheat, barley, and 

 oats, by the bean-barrow, with a smaller cylinder, so that the seed 

 might be properly sown. But an ingenious artist, Mr Alexander Small, 

 Leith Walk, (son of the celebrated inventor of the improved Scotch 

 swing plough), has lately prepared some barrows for sowing grain, on 

 so excellent a construction, that every objection to their use, is in a 

 great measure removed. 



The first idea was, to attach a box to the plough, so that the seed 

 should be sown in the furrow, as the plough moved along. The plan 

 of attaching the box to the plough, has certainly been attended with 

 success, and in some cases may still be adopted ; but upon fully con- 

 sidering the subject, it has, on the whole, been thought most advisable, 

 to separate the box from the plough, for the following reasons : 1. By 

 this means, when the box must be replenished with see<l, a boy is only 

 stopped ; whereas when a plough is used, a man and two horses are 

 hindered from working ; 2. When the wheel is to one side, the plough 

 is not so easily held ; and, 3. The addition of the box, makes it more 

 difficult to preserve the proper depth of the seed furrow. 



The plan altered on these principles, may be thus described : 



1. As soon as the plough enters, a boy with a box or barrow fol- 

 lows immediately, and deposits the seed in the furrow, which of course 

 is completely covered by the next furrow-slice. This is easily effect- 

 ed, even in windy weather, when sowing broadcast is attended with 

 difficulty. 



2. The furrow- slice ought to be from three to four inches deep, in 

 strong land, and from four to five in light ; and, 



3. The crop should be hand-hoed where a drill-hoeing machine is 

 not made use of*. 



* In some cases, the following plan might be adopted : As soon as the ground 

 is prepared for the seed-furrow, it may be covered with moist and rotten dung, 

 and then, either the seed may be sown in the furrow made, and the dung raked 

 over it, or the dung may be first raked into the furrow, and the seed sown upon 

 the dung, and then covered with the furrow.slice. It would evidently be a great 

 advantage, to have the seed sown with moist dung, particularly for barley in dry 

 springs. This process is at least well calculated for the Flemish system of hus- 

 bandry, with double crops. 



