ECONOMY OF FARMING. 51 



17. If for ploughing, oxen are more adapted on account of their steady, 

 uniform draught, than spirited and impatient horses ; yet the latter, on ac- 

 count of their more rapid movement, are much better fitted for harrowing, 

 because not only the pressure, but also the jog of the instrument must here 

 operate. 



If the harrow is slowly drawn over the field, the clods of earth lying on the surface 

 will be pushed one side by the teeth of the harrow, and only the deeper earth, or 

 the larger masses be broken up. But let the harrow be drawn quickly, its jog will 

 effect more than its pressure for reducing the clods and masses. 



18. According to the difference of the compactness of the soil, and the 

 depth to which one wishes to loosen the surface, sometimes more, some- 

 times less time and power will be requisite in harrowing. 



It is usual to harrow with one horse, or two or more horses or oxen, according as 

 the soil is mellow or binding ; according to the time that has elapsed since it was 

 ploughed : and whether the field is to be loosed deeply or not 



19. When the harrow only goes once in the same line, one can, with 

 horses, in a not very binding soil, or not filled with weeds, harrow up 4^ 

 yokes (6.39 acres) in 9 hours. 



The above given (See 16) yoke of land was 16 klafters broad ; and since the one- 

 spanned harrow is 3 schuh (not quite 3 feet) broad, we need only make 32 streaks 

 to harrow over the field once. If we reckon 32 turns to one minute, and the line of 

 draught of 3200 klafters' length at the rate of 1 .] seconds for a klafter (6 feet), because 

 the harrow can be drawn twice as swift as the plough, we shall need for harrowing one 

 yoke of land (not quite 1^ acres), taking in also the turns 1 hour and 52 minutes, in 

 round numbers, 2 hours time. If we use a double or more spanned harrow in a 

 similar field, according to the proportion of the breadth of the instrument and less 

 resistance Avhich is taken away from the animals, we could probably go over 6 yokes 

 (8^ acres) once in 9 hours. 



One-spanned harrows can only serve in heavy soil for covering over the seed, but 

 in loose soil in the same time for harrowing up the ploughed field. More than two 

 beasts are needed only with the great harrow, which has the slope of the teeth 

 pointing forwards. 



[Thaer, speaking of harrowing, says: " The difference is greater in this than in 

 ploughing. This arises from the degree of carefubiess and the character of the 

 instrument with which this important work is done. The round harrowing is the 

 most difficult kind, and of this a 4-span can perform at the highest 7 yokes (nearly 10 

 acres). On binding and grassy soils, one must content himself with 6 yokes (8^ 

 acres). If we refer to even harrowing and not the breaking up of the clods, one 

 might accomplish 9 yokes (12.8 acres). If tlie harrow is merely drawn along once, 

 with 4 horses in a day a man might go over 11 to 12| yokes (15.6 to 17.8 acres)." 



Veit reckons for harrowing about 4 morgen on an average (3-^ acres) per day. 

 As Veit's estimate is for one beast, it does not differ much from Burger's. Else- 

 where he says ; " With the usual harrow, a man will go over in a day 5 to 6 morgen 

 (4-J- to 5 acres)." 



Sir John Sinclair says : " In Norfolk it is the custom to walk the horses against 

 the rise ff any, and trot them back again in the same place. The quantity done in 

 this way is about 7 acres per day. In Scotland, a man and a pair of horses will do 

 a single tine^ as it is called, to the extent of 10 acres, and if a double line only 5 

 acres per day." — Tr.] 



20. With the three-shared extirpator, or the hilling plough, two men 

 will hoe with 1 horse a yoke (nearly 1.; acres) in 3 hours. With the 

 straight eleven-shared extirpator in easy soil 2, and in heavy soil 4 beasts 

 and two men will loosen up a yoke in 2 hours, but with the oblique seven- 

 shared extirpator for 2 horses, 3 hours are required for a yoke. 



[Veit says, that with a nine-shared extirpator with 4 oxen and two men, on a soil 

 not very binding or weedy, in a day they may hoe 5 morgen (4| acres) per day. 



