l86 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF cba. Vlt. 



the plants as possible, consistently with their 

 safety. This contributes not only to destroy 

 weeds, but to loosen the ground about the plants^ 

 a circumstance peculiarly advantageous in the 

 culture of this plant. The hand-hoe is employ- 

 ed to stir the ground, and destroy the weeds be- 

 tween the plants in the row. And if the land 

 be stiff, and bound together with root weeds, 

 such as couch-grass, &c., these are torn up with 

 the three-pronged hoe. In about ten clays after, 

 and when the weather is dry, the earth is laid 

 back to the plants with the double mould board 

 drill plough. The subsequent ph'ughings, as to 

 their frequency, and the season of giving them, 

 depend upon the state of the land and the wea- 

 ther. But the last ploughing is generally exe- 

 cuted with the broad sharp share before describ- 

 e$. and pretty deep ; after which it would be 

 proper to draw up the mould close to the stems 

 of the plants, with light broad teethed iron rakes, 

 1 8 inches long in the head, and with handles of 

 convenient length. . Instruments of this kind 

 will perform the work more expeditiously, and 

 perhaps more completely, than hand-hoes. 



The Curl, a disease formerly unknown, is now 

 become very common, and very hurtful to this 

 plant. There has been much speculation, and 

 many conjectures formed respecting the cause of 

 this evil, and many methods proposed for pre- 

 vention and remedy. It is, however, doubtful, 

 whether the real cause has as yet been discover- 

 ed : and, consequently, whether any of the re- 

 medies proposed will prove universally success- 

 ful. Of the various means of prevention that 

 have been suggested, change of seed, especially 



