388 PLAIN AXD PLEASANT TALK 



"vvill cover two drills by going once up and once down tho 

 field; if the single mold-board plow is used, it will of 

 course cover but one drill by the same operation. When 

 your ground is thus gone over, your land will all be in high 

 drills, and can rest so for about one week, when you must 

 take a two-horse harrow, and harrow your drills across^ 

 leaving your field as level as before your drills were opened. 

 There is no danger, as some would suppose, of disturbing 

 your seed. 



" In a few days, when you can see your plants distinctly 

 above ground, from one end of your drills to the other, you 

 must take your one-horse plow, and go up and down each 

 drill, running the land side of your plow as close to the 

 plant on each side as you safely can, throwing the earth 

 away from it, which operation will leave your field in raised 

 drills between your plants. In a few days after this you 

 take your double mold-board plow, and go down the centre 

 of the blank drills, covering all your plants nearly out of 

 sight, observing as you go along that the w^eight of earth is 

 thrown against^ and not ow, the plants. Then, m some 

 days after, when your plants are well over the top of your 

 drills, take your scufile, an implement not unlike your cul- 

 tivator in this country, and for which the cultivator can be 

 substituted, and go over your whole field between the drills, 

 giving the earth a good stirring, and not be afraid of 

 encroaching a little at each side on the drill. At this stage, 

 a boy should follow the scuffle, and pull up any weeds that 

 appear on the top or sides of the drills. In a few days 

 after this, when your plants are strong and well up, you go 

 down the centre between the drills, with your double mold- 

 board plow, the wings well apart, and throw the earth well 

 up to the plants. This must sometimes finish the cultiva- 

 tion, if the vines have spread and are closed too much, but 

 generally the vines will allow it, and the crop be much 

 benefited by one more scuffling ; but this time take par- 

 ticular care not to disturb the drill at the bottom^ as the 



