fusion of moisture thro^jghout the field ; but if the soil 

 is moist, plough into wide ridges of 18 to 24 feet, and if 

 it is a wet, heavy soil, let the ridges not exceed 6 to 12 

 feet. The object of ridge ploughing, is to improve the 

 furrow between the ridges, as drains for the water, 

 therefore multiply your drains, by narrowing the land:*, 

 or ridges, according to the moisture of the soil ; and so 

 vice versa. This is the best, if not only method of equal- 

 izing moist and wet lands. Wet clays, and ground ia 

 which clay predominates, whatever be the culture, 

 should generally be made to take this form; because, 

 it powerfully tends to drain the soil and carry off from 

 the roots of the growmg plants, that superiluous water, 

 which left to itself, would seriously aflect both the qual- 

 ity, and the quantity of their prod'.ic s. 



Ploughing hills. — Shallow ploughing, and ploughing up 

 and down hilly land, have, by exposing the loosened soil 

 to be carried off by rains, hastened more than any thing 

 else, the waste of its fertility. When the mere surface 

 is pulverised, moderate rains on land but litttle uneven, 

 if ploughed up and down, gradually wear it away. And 

 heavy rains on hilly lands, ploughed in that manner soon 

 produce a like effect, notwithstanding the improved pcac- 

 tice of deeper ploughing. 



These evils may be remedied by a cultivation in hor- 

 izontal drills with a plough adapted to it ; or, as propo- 

 sed by Mr. Butler, of Connecticut, author of the Far- 

 rarer's Manual, by carrying a furrow down the hill only, 

 and by inclining this furrow to the left hand, directly 

 in proportion to the descent of the declivity — and suf- 

 fermg the team to re-ascend the hill without a furrow. 

 This will lessen the day's w^ork, not one half, but about 

 one third, because the team will travel so much faster, 

 both up and down the hill, when they carry but one fur- 

 row. In this wa}^, the steepest hill may be ploughed 

 without a single furrow left open to the wash, except 

 the last one, and the saving in the strength of tlie team, 

 and in the value of the crop, which will arise from the 

 extra goodness of the ploughing, will doubly compea* 

 sate for the loss of time. 



Grounds upon the sides of hills are poorer than oth- 

 ers, and require a great deal of manure, which with the 

 finest mould will be soon washed away, unless «om^ 

 method lika the above is adopted. 



