PATCH SOWING. 265 



(ii) The ridge separating the trench from the strip, the last being 

 on the side towards which the ground falls. This is the best of 

 the three combinations for land with a decided slope. Owing to 

 the inclination of the ground the \vater from the trench must flow 

 through the soil downwards to the strip. 



The use of the treble combinations treated under this head is 

 even a worse confession of ignorance than the adoption of any of 

 the preceding double combinations ; but with them the chances of 

 success are of course greatly increased. They are, however, very 

 costly and must be avoided, except in case of absolute uncertainty 

 as to the best method to adopt. Under any circumstances they 

 should never be employed on any extensive scale, but merely ex- 

 perimentally in order to gain experience. Their adoption is quite 

 out of the question on slopes of 15 and upwards ; and hence it is 

 always possible and advisable to raise a field crop on the interval 

 between each triplet so as to recoup at least part of the total out- 

 lay. 



ARTICLE 9. 



PATCH SOWING. 



If we break up strips into lengths so short that each length be- 

 comes more or less square-shaped, we obtain patches. Patches, may, 

 however, also be circular, but the square is the easier shape to 

 prepare and is the one generally adopted. Patches may hence 

 be defined as little squares of cultivated soil arranged in more or 

 less parallel equidistant rows or lines and at equal distances apart 

 from one another in each line. 



1. Distance between the patches. 



Thus in making the patches there are two distances to be consi- 

 dered, (1) that between the lines and (2) that between the patches 

 in each line. The former distance is regulated by the very same 

 considerations as the width of the uncultivated interval in the strip 

 system ; the latter also by the same considerations, but with this 

 qualifying circumstance that allowance must be made for a patch 

 or two failing here and there and thereby increasing the interval 

 between the consecutive patches in one and the same line. Hence 

 the patches are generally arranged closer together in one direction 

 (in the lines) than in the other (from line to line). The most 

 common practice is to provide for the failure of every alternate 

 patch and thus make the distance between the patches in the lines 

 half the distance between the lines. Sometimes, however, as when 

 there is already some useful forest growth on the ground or grass 



