52 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



" Thus for three-quarters of a century cultivation in 

 drills was, by experience, admitted to be more advantage- 

 ous than ordinary cultivation. This fact proves very 

 clearly the slowness with which agricultural improve- 

 ments are adopted. 



" A similar experiment was repeated by Mr. Amos in 

 1791, and he got an equally favourable result 



A hectare of Corn in drills, 



at the distance of 229. 

 Produce 37 hectolitres, 72 litres, at 17 fr., 25 c. 



the hectolitre, . . ; fr. 454 06 



Expenses Hire, seed and expenses for cultivation, 146 38 



Balance, fr. 507 68 



A hectare broadcast. 

 Produce 31 hectolitres, 94 litres, at 17 fr., 25 c. 



the hectolitre, fr. 560 64 



Expenses Hire, seed and expenses for cultivation, 145 61 



Balance, fr. 415 03 

 In favour of sowing in rows, . . . fr. 92 65 



" From these details it will be seen how it happens that 

 where two farmers occupy the same kind of soil ; if the one 

 cultivates in rows, he will have an advantage of more 

 than 100 francs for each hectare of corn that he cultivates 

 more than the farmer sowing his wheat broadcast, which 

 proves, that success in cultivation does not depend so 

 much on natural circumstances as on the skill with which 

 the ground is cultivated." 



38. Dibbling, or setting, as it is sometimes called, is by 

 many spoken of as a new thing. It is not so ; in fact, its 

 practice on an extended scale was commenced so early as 

 1765. In old magazines, and specially in the original re- 

 ports of the oldest of all our agricultural societies, namely, 

 the Bath and West of England which reports, by the way, 

 are now difficult to be had we find abundant evidence 

 given of the advantages of the dibbling or setting system. 

 The result of the inquiries made by the secretary of the 

 Society, in the latter part of the last century, showed that, 



