THE PRACTICE OF THE 



duced thirty- fix quarters; which, at three 

 *' pence per peck fa very law price), were 

 " 14 1. 8 s. Another acre the preceding year 

 " was planted with potatoes on five-feet 

 *' ridges, viz. a (ingle row on every ridge, 

 " and each plant a foot diftant. Thefe were 

 " well weeded and horfe hoed, and the crop 

 *? was thirty feven quarters five bufhels, 

 " which, at three pence per peck, comes to 

 ** 15 1. 4 s. But here the land was very rich. 

 * Though can there well be a more profit- 

 " able culture ? 



" I have had very great crops of fainfoin- 

 <* feed this way ; and once, in particular, I 

 " meafured a {ingle row on a three-feet ridge, 

 '* and one hundred yards in length produced 

 " five pecks; and confequently an acre would 

 *< yield feven quarters tour bufliels, an afto- 

 <c nifhing quantity ! But the rows were per- 

 *' felly weeded, and the feed gathered by 

 hand, fo that fcarce a grain was loft ; 

 ** whereas, in the common way of mowing 

 " and threfiiing, there is generally immenle 

 ** wafte, probably amounting to half the 

 " quantity. But, on the other hand, the 

 " expence of gathering the feed of one acre, 

 '" by women, calculated from the row above- 

 <c mentioned, would amount to three pounds." 

 (But, if the tops were cut off with a reap- 

 hook, and in the dew, it vviil not be liable to 

 fted-j and the feed may be faved this way at a 

 imall expence---Sir Digby feems to incline to 



the 



