ARABLE LAND. 



consequence that each slice be of the 

 same width and tliickness, and the 

 sides of it perfectly straight and par- , 

 allcl. Tiie plane of the coulter must 

 be perfectly vertical, and that of the ; 

 share horizontal, in order tliat the 

 bottom of the furrow may be level, 

 without hollows or balks, which are 

 irregularities produced by the rising 

 or sinking of the plough, or inclining 

 it to either side. There are various 

 modes of ploughing land, either quite 

 Hat, or in beds or stitches — that is, 

 in portions of greater or less width, 

 with a double furrow between them, 

 somewhat like beds in a garden. 

 Sometimes two ridges are set up 

 against each other, which is called 

 ridging or bouting ; the land then is 

 entirely laid in high ridges and deep 

 furrows, by which it is more exposed 

 to the influence of the air, and kept 

 drier: this is generally done before 

 wmter, especially in stiff, wet soils. 

 Sometiines two or more ridges are 

 made on each side, forming narrow 

 stitches. When the ground is to be 

 ploughed W'ithout being laid in stitch- 

 es, and all the ridges inclined one 

 way, the mould-board of the plough 

 is shifted at each turn from one side 

 to the other. The double mould-board 

 plough of Barnaby and Mooers docs 

 this effectively. When gj-ass land or 

 stubble is ploughed, care must be ta- 

 ken to bury the grass and weeds com- 

 pletely, and the slice cut off by the 

 plough must be turned over entirely, 

 which is best done by making the 

 width of the furrow greater than the 

 depth. When the grass and weeds 

 are rotten, and the ground is plough- 

 ed to pulverize it, a narrow, deep fur- 

 row is best ; the earth ploughed up 

 is laid against the side of the prece- 

 ding ridge, which forms a small fur- 

 row between the tops of the ridges, 

 well adapted for the seed to lodge in 

 and to be readily covered with the 

 harrow. 



Nothing has divided both practical 

 and theoretical agriculturists more 

 than tiie question whether the land 

 should be ploughed deep or shallow ; 

 but a very slight attention to the pur- 

 puses for which land is ploughed, and 



as 



to the nature of the soil, will readily 

 reconcile these apparently contradic- 

 tory opinions. A deep, nub, and stiff 

 soil can never be moved too much 

 nor too deep : dcej) ploughing brings 

 up rich earth, admits the air and 

 water readily, and gives room for 

 the roots to shoot, while tlte rich 

 compact soil alToids moisture and 

 nourishment. Wherever trees are to 

 be planted the ground should be stir- 

 red as deep as possible, even in a poor 

 soil : for grass and corn, tliis is not 

 always prudent ; their roots seldom 

 go above three or four inches deep, 

 and if they find sufficient moisture 

 and hurnus, they require httle more 

 depth. 



Whenever the soil below a certain 

 depth is of an inferior quality, there 

 can be no use in bringing it up ; and 

 where the soil is light and porous, 

 the bottom had much better not be 

 broken. 



The great object in ploughing land 

 is to divide it, expose every part of 

 it to the influence of the elements, 

 and destroy every plant or weed but 

 those which are sown in it. To do 

 this perfectly requires several plough- 

 ings. 



Where the soil is good, with a po- 

 rous subsoil, the greatest care should 

 be taken not to go too deep ; but 

 where the subsoil is compact and im- 

 pervious to water, but not wet for 

 want of outlet or draining, it is use- 

 ful to stir the soil to a great depth, 

 but without bringing it to the sur- 

 face, which may be done by a plough 

 without a mould-board following a 

 common plough in the same furrow. 

 This is an excellent inode of drain- 

 ing, and, at the same time, keeping 

 a reservoir of moisture, w'hich in dry 

 weather ascends in vapours through 

 the soil and refreshes the roots. 



The mode in which tlie soil is pre- 

 pared most perfectly for the recep- 

 tion of the seed is best shown by fol- 

 lowing the usual operations on fal- 

 lows ; After the harvest, tlie plough 

 is set to work and the stubble plough- 

 ed in. The winter's frost and snow 

 mellow it, while the stubble and weeds 

 rot below'. lu spring, as soon as the 



