206 O:^ THE IMPROVEMENT 



worn, can be moved a little lower down, so as to contin- 

 ue the work with regularity. This operation also com- 

 pletely breaks and scatters the manure dropped on the 

 field by the stock, and particularly incorporates it with 

 the surface-mould. 



Scarifying is cutting the sod and loosening the surface. 

 Concklin's press-harrow (fig. 34) is a suitable implement 

 for this purpose. We also subjoin the drawing of an 

 implement constructed for this purpose, which we take 

 from ' British Husbandry,' calculated to be drawn by a one 

 or two-horse team. 



Fig. 40. 



This implement is intended to cut the sod perpendicu- 

 larly so far down as to sever the roots of the grass, which 

 occasions it to throw out fresh roots. It slices the sod, 

 without tearing it, and should be constructed with a num- 

 ber of very sheurp coulters, fixed into a cross-beam at such 

 distances as may be thought advisable, from six inches to 

 a foot, and of a width according to the strength intended 

 to be employed in drawing it. The blades should be 

 occasionally whetted to preserve their edge, and the im- 

 plement should be used when the ground is in a moderate 

 state of moisture, and the grass short. If the land is 

 poor, or moss-bound, it may be passed crosswise also. 

 It is best adapted to moist clays, which do not contain 

 stones or gravel. It is advantageously used to precede 

 the sowing of grass-seeds. The foot-wheel is to regulate 

 the depth of the work. 



Draining improves the quality of the herbage, and 

 marling, liming, or ashing increases the quantity. It is 

 remarked, that animal dung, when dropped on coarse 



