THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



shoveller to cast up the small mould that falls in the 

 bottom of the furrow; and the delvers should turne 

 up the point of the spade, and nimbly break and chop 

 all the clods thoroughly ; this is very material, as 

 well as the thorough mixing of the manures with 

 the soil ; so that mixing, stirring, re-stirring and 

 fallowing, is most pertinent for the cold, chilled, 

 barren, rugged-natur'd ground in Scotland, all 

 which softens and tenders it, and so fits it for nour- 

 ishing good seeds and plants, as I can tell experi- 

 ence ; therefore, 



I advise our husband-men also to the fallowing 

 of their land as one requisite; slit-folding the same, 

 as a second ; watering or overflowing the land, as 

 a third; burning the turf , as a fourth ; draining ex- 

 cessive moisture, as a fifth ; applying proper soils 

 and manures, and thatat proper seasons, as a sixth ; 

 laying the land to rest, as a seventh ; and above all, 

 inclosing and planting about their land, as the last 

 and best improvement. 



Example : At the autumnal fallowing, delve or 

 plow deep, and apply hot unrotted and uncom- 

 pounded manures ; at spring re-plow or re-delve, 

 and apply such manures as have layn mixed and 

 rotted with earth ; then mix, rake or harrow. The 



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