R I D 



executed in the ridge method, or by railing the furface of 

 the land into fome kind of ridges. 



Ridges of a horfe's mouth, are wrinkles or rifings of the 

 flefh in the roof of the mouth, running acrofs from one fide 

 of the jaw to the other, with interjacent furrows. 



It is commonly in the third or fourth ridge that the far- 

 riers ftrike with the horn, in order to bleed a horfe whofe 

 mouth is overheated. 



RIDGIL, in Rural Economy, a male fheep, in which 

 the tefticles do not come properly down into the fcrotum. 



Ridgil Lambs, fuch as have none, or only one tellicle, 

 in the fcrotum or cod. There is often great trouble and danger 

 in thefe forts of animals being mixed with other fheep ftock, 

 as they not only teafe the ewes, but frequently injure them. 

 The lambs mould, of courfe, always be cut while young, as 

 from fix to ten or twelve weeks old, though the operation 

 may be performed with fafety at a much later period, and 

 even when a year or more old. Mr. Marfhall, in his Nor- 

 folk Economy, defcribes the manner of doing it in this 

 way, where only one of the tefticles had come down or 

 entered the cod. Having cut off the end of the fcrotum, 

 bag, or cod, the tellicle was drawn out in the ufual manner 

 of gelding. The other was taken out at the fide contrary 

 to that on which the palpable tefticle was placed. In per- 

 forming which, the lamb is laid flat on its fide upon the 

 ground, being held in that pofition by one man, keeping its 

 neck and fore legs clofe down, while another ftretches it 

 out by drawing the hind legs backwards, keeping them 

 tight down, fo that the animal cannot itir. The operator 

 then clips off a fmall patch of wool, about the fize and fhape 

 of a duck's egg, clofe below the loin, and in the middle 

 between the huckle and the fliort ribs ; after which he makes 

 an incifion, fufficientlv wide to admit his forefinger, with 

 which he fearches for the ftone and brings it out, difengag- 

 ing it from the tunic or coat in which it is enclofed, by a 

 knife, drawing out the cord or firing. The orifice after this 

 is carefully fewed up, and the wounded parts anointed 

 with elder or fome other ointment. 



And it is ftated as remarkable, that the concealed tefticles 

 all laid on the lame fide, namely the right fide ; the contrary 

 fide to that on which females are cut, in the cafes he had the 

 operation performed in. And that in one the operation was 

 rendered difficult by the tefticle being very fmall, and braced 

 up clofe to the vertebra:. It is likewife added, that the pal- 

 pable tefticle being priorily extracted, increafes the difficulty 

 of the operation, as the perfon who performs it does not 

 know which fide to cut on, and is fometimes obliged to cut 

 on both before he finds the concealed tefticle. 



This is a nice operation, which requires much care and 

 attention in the perfon who performs it. 



RIDGING of Ground, in Gardening, the practice of 

 throwing it up into high ridges in order to lie fallow in 

 winter, &c. to mellow, and improve in its quality and 

 fertility. 



It may be noticed, that this is a work of great utility in 

 the kitchen garden, as well as in other parts, but more efpe- 

 cially in ftiff heavy foils, and cold wet lands. It is accom- 

 piifhed by trench-digging the ground overpaying the earth of 

 each trench in a raifed, rough ridge, lengthways, that by thus 

 lying as high, open, and hollow as poffible, it may meliorate 

 and fertilize more effectually by the weather during the winter. 

 And it receives further improvement from the levelling it 

 down again, which is expeditioufly effected, for the recep- 

 tion of the intended feeds, plants, roots, &c. which 

 breaks, divides, and pulverizes the earth (till more ef- 

 fectually. 



And this fort of ridging is generally performed, either in 



RID 



the latter end of autumn, or any time in winter, or early 

 in the fpring, as the ground is the moll vacant at thofe fea- 

 fons, and not generally immediately wanted for any principal 

 fowing or planting. 



This fort of work is executed by beginning at one end of 

 the plat of ground, and digging out a trench one or two 

 fpades in width, and a hill fpade's depth, removing the 

 crumbs from the bottom, in the lengthways acrols the 

 ground, and wheeling the earth to the finifhing end, to be 

 ready to fill up the laft trench. : fo marking out a fecond 

 trench clofe to the firfl, of the fame width, then proceeding in 

 the trenching and ridging, previoufly paring the top of the 

 fecond trench, with all weeds, rubbilh, or dung thereon, it 

 any, into the bottom of the firft, and then digging the 

 ground of the fecond along regularly, the proper width 

 and depth as above ; turning the earth fpit and fpit into the 

 firft open trench, laying it in a raifed ridge lengthways 

 thereof, without breaking it fine, fo that it may lit fome- 

 what rough and hollow, according as the nature of the foil 

 may admit : proceeding thus with another trench in the fame 

 manner, and continuing the fame witli the whole, trench 

 and trench, to the end of the plat of ground ; filling up 

 the laft trench with the earth of the firft opened, laying it 

 now ridgeways, as in the preceding trenches. 



But in the work of levelling down ridged ground, as 

 wanted, it fhould proceed regularly, ridge and ridge, long- 

 ways, levelling the earth equally to the right and left, 

 loofening any folid parts, and breaking all large rough 

 lumps and clods moderately fine ; forming the whole in an 

 even regular furface, in order for fowing and planting, a 

 required. 



And in general, it is not advifable to lay down more 

 than can be fown the fame or next day, while the furface is 

 freih ftirred, efpecially in broad-caft fowing and raking in the 

 feed, as, moll generally, all tolerably light mellow foils are 

 more yielding to the rake while the furface is frefli moved ; 

 or before rendered wet by rain, &c. ; or very dry and har- 

 dened in the top earth by the fun, air, and winds, in dry 

 weather, in the fpring months, &c; and likewife for 

 fowing feeds by bedding in and covering in with earth from 

 the alleys, &c. or with earth raked off the beds for that 

 purpofe, it would generally be moll fuccefsful to perform it 

 in a freih ftirred furface ; though it is not fo material in 

 drill fowing ; and befides, when feeds are committed to the 

 earth, while it is in a frefli turned up furface, efpecially in a 

 dry feafon, they are more forwarded in a free regular germi- 

 nation than in ground that has bin fome time after digging 

 or levelling down. Though fome grounds, of a wet, or 

 heavy, ftift nature, fometimes require to lie a few days after 

 digging or levelling down, in order for the rough cloddy 

 furface to mellow in fome degree, either by drying a little, 

 or by having a moderate rain, or fometimes both, to 

 meliorate the lumpy clods, pliant to the rake, in the cafe of 

 broad-caft fowing, and raking in the feed. 



Ridging-«^>, in Hufbandry, a term ufed to fignify the 

 prattice of laying up the mould or foil to the rows of par- 

 ticular forts of crops, as thofe of the pea, potatoe, turnip, 

 cabbage, and other fimilar kinds. It alfo implies the laying 

 up land or earth in fuch a manner as that it may receive the 

 moll full and perfect benefit and influence of the atmofphere, 

 and in confequence become in a mellow and pulverized 

 ftate. It is often very neceflary in ftiff lands. 



RIDGLET, in Agriculture, a provincial word, ufed to 

 fignify a fmall ridge, efpecially when raifed by baulking or 

 ridging up with the plough. 



RIDGLING, in Rural Economy, the male of any beaff 



that 



