SUB-SOILIIs^G, TREi^CH PLOWIKG, TILLAGE. 53 



one half the land at certain seasons by plowing each 

 furrow-slice on to its own width of unmoved soil. This, 

 W'hich IS called '^ raftering, " is sometimes done in the 

 case of foul land to enable the harrow to deal perfectly 

 with one half of the soil at a time. It is also a common 

 practice to rib clay land before winter by plowing two 

 furrow-slices together over an intervening width of about 

 twelve inches — thus creating a ridgelet thirty inches 

 wide on which the frost can exert its disintegrating 

 effect. 



The points of merit in plowing are — (1) a straight 

 furrow of uniform width and depth; (2) a clean cut slice, 

 both on its land side and floor; (3) a well laid furrow- 

 slice, having regard to compactness and form; (4) com- 

 plete burial of the grass or stubble turned in; (5) a 

 uniformly plowed ridge; (6) a finish showing an open 

 furrow with a clean narrow bottom, the last furi'ow- 

 slice being equal in width and height with the others. 



Many calculations have been made to prove the waste 

 of time consequent upon short furi'ows. Under average 

 circumstances a pair of horses will plow an acre of grass 

 land in a day of nine hours. On turnip land of the 

 same quality rather more than an acre will be plowed in 

 a day, and on stubble land one and one-quarter acre. 

 A considerable difference will, of course, be found in 

 the work accomplished by different horses and men, even 

 on the same land. With a furrow nine inches wide, ex- 

 actly eleven miles are travelled in plowing an acre. A 

 quarter of the day or more is generally used in turning at 

 the headland. 



Cnltivatinj? or Stirrina:, — The cultivator merely stirs 

 the soil and does' not turn it over like the plow; but it 

 can work to an equal depth. It is especially useful in 

 a spring fallow after autumn plowing, as the winter- 

 weathered tilth IS thereby retained on the surface, and 



