C 178 ] 



On Tough Sod, Star of Bethlehem ^'^ and Bhie Bottle. 

 By Richard Peters Esq. 



Read March 13th, 1810. 



In the autumn of 1808, 1 ploughed my little trenched 

 field, in which I raised the hemp (mentioned in our 

 Memoirs, page 244,) from five to seven inches deep. 

 The sod was tough ; and the surface much bound. I 

 treated it as I have been accustomed to deal with simi- 

 lar soddy leys. I harrowed it frequently in the fall, and, 

 in open weather, in the winter, in the direction of the 

 furrows, to expose the garlick, and fill all openings ad- 

 mitting too great influxes of air. To close them, and 

 consolidate the mass, I rolled it well ; and thus it layed 

 through the winter. The spiky-roller, an implement too 

 little known or used in this country, and without whicJi 

 no farmer of heavy or clay lands can do justice to his 

 husbandry, would have been the best for this operation; 

 though in light lands it is only occasionally required. 



Those who do not follow my practice in old leys 

 newly broken up, object to fall ploughing ; because, in 

 the spring after fall ploughing, they cross-plough, and 

 turn up the sod with all its pests and adhesion. This I 

 never do, but harrow it well and often ; sometimes with 

 a harrow, furnished with numerous hoes instead of tines, 

 for my spring crop. I marked out the field in squares 

 for Indian corn, and planted at the usual time; not dis- 

 turbing the sod, except in a small part of the field, here- 



* Ornithogallum umhellatuw* 



