136 OPERATIONS OF TILLAGE. 



at a little distance from each other, and preserving the 

 space between them, as in fig. 25. 



Fig. 25. 



" When land is ploughed in this manner, the ground is 

 taken from one side of each two adjoining ridges at G, 

 and laid towards the other, E ; that is, it is gathered 

 towards one side and gathered from the other. In this 

 manner the ground at the open furrow G, from which 

 we gather, becomes more bare of earth than the open 

 furrow E, towards which we gather. This is an imper- 

 fection unavoidable in casting a ridge. When, therefore, 

 we wish to cast a ridge twice in succession, we reverse 

 the former mode of ploughing ; we gather towards the 

 open furrow G, and from the open furrow E, and thus 

 the ridge is restored to its former state. 



" Another method of ploughing is cleaving. In this 

 case, the plough commences at the open furrow, lays the 

 first shce towards it, and then, returning by the other side 

 of the open furrow, lays the second slice upon the first, 

 as in fig. 26. When it has reached the centre, it stops 



Fig. 26. 



B C £ C G • 



and begins with another pair of ridges, and ploughs the 

 half of each pair together in the same manner. In this 

 w^ay the open furrows of the ridges become the centres, 

 and the former centres become the open furrows. The 

 operation of cleaving is of constant occurrence in the 

 summer-fallow, and other cleaving processes of tillage. 

 When w^e wish to level a ridge, we cleave it. 



" There are two variations to be noticed in the prac- 

 tice of cleaving : either the two first slices are laid togeth- 

 er, in which case the open furrows of the former ridges 

 become the centres, and the former centres the open 

 furrows, in the manner shown in fig. 26 ; or a certain 



