AGRICULTURE. 



himself of those, the utility of which is 

 best decided by experience. 



PloiufMng. 



In almost all lands there is a fixed depth 

 for the plough to go to, which is the stra- 

 tum between the fertile and unfertile 

 moulds. No soil should be ploughed be- 

 yond this bottom, or sole, which is the 

 preservative on which the top layer 

 should rest, and by which the manure laid 

 upon the ground is prevented from losing 

 its effect. In fallowing land, therefore, 

 the plough may go as deep as the fertile 

 soil will allow, as also in breaking up land 

 without paring and burning. When land 

 is pared and burnt, it ought to be plough- 

 ed in small furrows, and not so deep, as 

 this depth of furrow would hazard the 

 loss of the ashes for the immediate and 

 indeed for the subsequent crops. Where 

 the sods are burned in small heaps, and by 

 slow fires, and the land ploughed shallow 

 for the first time, and successively deep- 

 er and deeper, poor land will be more ef- 

 fectually benefited from itself than by any 

 other mode ; and in proportion as land 

 can be made to maintain or improve 

 itself, the benefit to the farmer is obvious. 



Instead of ploughing stubble into the 

 land, it is far better to move the stubble, 

 and even to harrow the land before it is 

 fallowed. In soil of a poor quality, a cer- 

 tain proportion should be observed be- 

 tween the depth of ploughing and the 

 quantity of manure usually spread, which 

 on better soils might be safely disregard- 

 ed. There are few which it is not requi- 

 site to plough to the depth of six inches; 

 and for many, the depth of ten is by no 

 means too great. Once in twelve or 

 eighteen months it is highly desirable to 

 plough to the full depth, while in the in- 

 terval shallower tillage will be preferable 

 to deep working, for wheat particularly, 

 which is best promoted by a firm bottom. 

 A ploughing before harvest is of extreme 

 consequence infallowing, with respect to 

 which seasonableness is of more conse- 

 quence than the number of earths given. 

 When fallows are called for, they should 

 be attended with an observant eye, and be 

 kept clean, whatever other business may 

 press upon the husbandman's attention. 

 On a well-managed farm servants and cat- 

 tle will be kept sufficient for every neces- 

 sary operation. The practice of fallows, 

 however, is now abandoned in a variety 

 of cases in which they were formerly 

 deemed absolutely indispensable, and the 

 well-informed agriculturist will seldom 

 have recourse to them after his first year. 



Harrowing is not only necessary > 

 vering the seed, but also for preparing the 

 land for its reception. The same instru- 

 ments, whatever be their form, cannot an- 

 swer the different purposes of this opera- 

 tion upon all soils, whether firm or loose, 

 and rough or smooth. For every purpose, 

 however, and of whatever size, they should 

 be so constructed, that no tooth can fol- 

 low the track of another, and that every 

 one should be constantly kept acting. 

 The practice is best performed by har- 

 rowing a square piece of land at once, so 

 that the instrument may be lifted at the 

 corner, and the refuse stuff left there. 

 The following harrows will thus have an 

 opportunity of passing over every part of 

 the land, and it will be completely cleaned 

 from couch grass and all noxious weeds. 



Till of late years the practice of rolling 

 was but little used, or even known, and 

 it is in many places exercised so slightly, 

 as to be of little service. Its utility, when 

 it is exercised as it ought to be, consists 

 in rendering a loose soil more compact 

 and solid, which, by making the earth 

 adhere to the roots of plants, cherishes 

 their growth. No roller that can be 

 drawn by two, or even by four horses, 

 will carry this effect too far. By rolling, 

 moreover, the moisture of the earth is 

 kept more in, and in a dry season, this 

 circumstance may reasonably be pre- 

 sumed sometimes to constitute "the differ- 

 ence between a good and a bad crop. 

 The common practice of breaking clods 

 by means of mallets, may judiciously be 

 superseded by the roller, preceded for a 

 day or two by harrowing. When firm 

 and tough clay clods are to be broken, a 

 large and heavy roller will be required 

 for this purpose, with circles of iron of 

 the depth of six or seven inches, which 

 will completely reduce the most stubborn 

 clods, and, from its decided usefulness, 

 must by no means be regarded as a refine- 

 ment in husbandry, productive of expense 

 without ample corresponding advantage. 

 With respect to grass lands, the mowing 

 for hay is extremely facilitated by the 

 practice of rolling. 



The practice of scarifying grass lands 

 is used by a variety of persons, and is di- 

 rectly opposite to that of rolling them in 

 its principle and effect. For this purpose 

 a plough, consisting only of four coulters, 

 or narrow teeth, is employed ; and it is as- 

 serted that the crops of hay are consider- 

 ably increased by the loosening of the 

 earth occasioned by this process, the roots 

 acquiring the power of fresh vegetation, 

 while rolling 1 is stated to increase the te- 



