/ 



292 



AERATION AND 



Sect. XH. 7. 



at a fmall expencej I (liall only 

 add, that rape-feed, which is generally Town in Augufl:, and not reaped 



might be done by boys and girls 



the Aneuft foil 



o 



c? 



might be profitably tranfplanted 



peas and be 



And laflly, th 



probable, that fome means of 



making the holes to receive the plants might be much expedited by 



broad wheel to be d 



by a man or horfe with prominent pe 



^-r 



periphery two inches tall, and nine inches afunder 



7. Another means of aeration and of pulverization has been ufed 



in r 



fpea 



h 



crops 



many 



th advanta 



o 



and that is by 



dravying a lightifli harrow over a wheat-crop in the fpring, which, 

 where a crop is thin, is particularly recommended ; and may alfo be 

 of fervice where it is too thick. 



The harrow by breaking the clods, and by turning up the foil againfl 

 the ftems of many plants, earths them deeper as in hoeing ; and thus 

 by burying the fecond joint occalions it to tiller, or fhoot out new 

 root-fcions ; at the fame time the earth is expofed to the air, and 

 many weeds are rooted up and covered, and fome roots of the corn. 



The drawing a fharp harrow over a field of wheat in the fpring 

 muft cut or tear many of the roots of thofe flems, which it comes 

 Hear, which according to Mr. TulFs theory would fhoot out many 

 new radicles, or pencils of fine roots, and thus acquire more nourifli- 

 ment. But I fufpe<5l that tearing of many of the root-fibres prevents 

 the too luxuriant growth of the ftem and leaves, and thence fooner 

 produces the fructification, as in tranfplanting. At the fame time the 

 earth being loofened becomes more penetrable to the remaining roots, 

 as well as more nutritive from its aeration. 



J- 



Others have even ploughed a field at this feafon with good efFe6l, 



as Mr. Bogle afferts ; but both of them appear to be only inferior 

 kinds of drill husbandry j and the former may fo far be of confider- 

 able utility. 



8, Another method of aerating and pulverizing the foil of a wheat 

 field in fpring is by roUing it, which may be done before or after the 



4 



ufe 



