WAY-SIDE HINTS. 123 



is put on again, up and down, and across. There is 

 no fear of harrowing too much. This being accom- 

 plished, and the manure disposed (since March) in 

 huge heaps at either end of the field, three deep fur- 

 rows are opened at, say, two to three rods apart, by 

 a plowman who can drive his furrow across as straight 

 as the flight of an arrow. Immediately upon the 

 opening of the first, the cart follows, and two men 

 strew the open furrow with the half-rotted manure. 

 Another hand follows with a sprinkling of guano and 

 plaster : and still another follows to drop the seed. 

 Upon this the plowman laps a furrow in way of 

 cover : two furrows follow as in ordinary plowing, 

 and every fourth one is treated as we have described 

 with ample dressing and seed. Three series of fur- 

 rows being opened at the start, permit the plowman 

 to go his rounds without interfering with the plant- 

 ing and dressing. When the whole field is gone over 

 after this system it has simply the appearance of a 

 thoroughly plowed surface. Nothing more is done 

 until the young shoots begin to appear ; at this time 

 the Scotch harrow is put on, and the land completely 

 weeded and levelled, little or no harm being done by 

 this procedure to the starting crop. The whole field 

 has thus the evenness and the cleanness of a garden. 

 Three weeks later, especially if the season be favor- 

 able to weed growth, it may be necessary to go be- 



