284 °f Ploughs. Chap. XVIII. 



This fort of Land mud not be ftirred, /. e . plowed 

 the Second time in wet Weather; for that will caufc 

 the Grafs and Weeds to multiply, befides the tread- 

 ing the Ground into hard Dabs, &c. And, in dry 

 Weather, the Plough will never enter any deeper 

 than it went the firft time ; the Refiftance below be- 

 ing fo much more than the PrefTure above, the Plough 

 will rife up continually ; or, if it goes deep enough 

 for the Weight of Earth to keep it down, another 

 Inconvenience will follow, which is that mentioned 

 by Columella , Page 47. §uod omnis humus, quamvis 

 Itetijfima^ tamen inferiorem partem jejuniorem habet, 

 eamque attrahunt excitata majores glebae ; quo evenit, 

 at infcecundior materia mifia pinguiori fegetem minus 

 uberem reddat. The vulgar Englijh Phrafe is, It 

 fpaults up from below the Staple. Hence the trea- 

 cherous Plowman is fecure of an eafy Summer's 

 Work, if he can perfuade his Mailer to fuffer him 

 to fallow the Ground with a fhallow Furrow. 



Another way to conquer a ftrong Turf is, to plow 

 it firft with a Breafl-plough, very thin ; and, when the 

 Swerd is rotten, then plow it at the proper Depth : 

 But this Method is (befides the extraordinary Charge 

 of it) liable to other great Misfortunes. If the Turf 

 be pared up in Winter, or early in the Spring, it, is a 

 Chance but the Rains caufe it to grow ftronger than 

 before, infread of its Rotting. 



And if it be pared later, tho* dry Weather do fol- 

 low, and continue long enough to kill the Turf, yet 

 this lofes time ; the Seafon of plowing is retarded ; 

 for all the Staple flill remains unfilled ; and, before 

 that can be well done, the Year is too far fpent for 

 lowing it with Wheat, which is the mod proper 

 Grain for fuch ftrong Land (a) ; and few will have 

 Patience to wait, and plow on till another Wheat-feed 



(a) Befides, moft ftrong Land has Stones in it, which will not 

 admit the Uie of the Breait-ploughv 



time. 



