30 



OUR FARM CROPS. 



straight lines as with the drill. It is a very difficult 

 matter to estimate the quantity of land to be dibbled 

 per day, as it is entirely governed by the mode of doing 



Newington's Hand-dibble. 



the work. Where, through an erroneous idea of social 

 economy in relation to the application of labour, the oper- 

 ation is done by hand, both the proportion of seed, and 

 the depth at which it is deposited, are always irregular 

 and unsatisfactory, and the work done is very small. 

 These drawbacks, however, more or less disappear by the 

 use of the machinery placed at our disposal. The only 

 comparative trials that I have had an opportunity of 

 making have been with Newberry's dibbling machine; 

 this is a costly and cumbersome, but, under suitable con- 

 ditions, an effective machine for the purpose. With this 

 machine about 4 to 5 acres a-day can be got in, with 

 the same amount of horse and manual labour as would, 

 with the drill, enable you to sow about three times that 

 area, or *12 acres; consequently, the expense of dibbling 



