NEW HUSBANDRY EXEMPLIFIED* l6l 



" fo covered had the earth taken off", and an- 

 " other horfe -hoeing was given on the 7th of 

 " June, the earth being very. dry. By this 

 " laft operation, the firft furrow was cut 

 " deeper, and the plough went at a proper 

 " diftance from the rows.*' [It is neceflary 

 to make the ridges and rows of plants to be 

 horfe-hoed, very ftraight at firft ; and they are 

 frequently not made ftraight enough by com- 

 mon ploughmen, which, as in this inftance 

 of Sir Digby's, is inconvenient, and attended 

 with feme extraordinary expence : this may 

 be prevented, and the ground laid out ftraight 

 at firft, by drawing a couple of cart or othec 

 wheels upon the furface of the level ground, 

 after it is harrowed fine -, thefe wheels being 

 connected together by an axle of a proper 

 length, and drawn by one horfe in (hafts, or 

 a couple of poles, will mark the exact dif- 

 tances of the rows, and guide the ploughman 

 to make the ridges equal.] " On the 8th 

 " of June, all the five acres were hand-hoed; 

 " but, by reafon of the dry feafon, not many 

 " weeds had fp rung up. The -effect of the 

 " horfe-hoeing on the four acres was great, 

 *' and the corn feemed to flourifli exceedingly. 

 " The plants were of a deep green, and re- 

 44 markably vigorous. The part drilled in 

 " equally diftant rows without intervals re- 

 " mained always of a paler green. But the 

 " part fovved in the common way was a de- 

 " gree (till paler, though this laft part ripened 



M " the 



