46 Construction and Testing of Drills. 



Seed is sown so many seers to the bigha (roughly, 

 y acre) by the little seed holes in the discs before 

 mentioned. Now, the drill being of wood, wood 

 being perishable, the Indian climate variable and 

 severe upon this article, and the doctrine of abso- 

 lute certainty in the sowings being a first principle 

 with the planter, it will be seen that these little 

 seed holes, tested religiously and laboriously this 

 year, must not be trusted the next. It, therefore, 

 becomes a necessity that the drills should be tested. 

 This process, excruciatingly dear to the heart of every 

 Assistant, comes into requisition about the middle 

 of February of each year. There are two different 

 systems now in use the old and the new the first 

 rapidly becoming shouldered out by the last. By 

 the old system we will suppose you wanted to sow 

 at the rate of twelve seers per bigha : a small 

 component portion of a bigJta was measured off in 

 a square, lined off; then, having filled your drill 

 trough and yoked your cattle, round they went 

 until the ground apportioned off was drilled. I must 

 mention that the seed, before entering the drill, had 

 been weighed ; all the test seed went into the ground. 

 The cattle being unyoked, the balance of seed in the 

 trough was re-weighed, the difference between first 

 and second weighments being what remained in the 

 plot. This difference gives the ground-work of the 



