SOWING. 



a late writer thinks, that, in fo far as the fowint^ is con- 

 cerned, this bufinefs ought, in fome refpeft, to be con- 

 dueled according to the differences of the quahties of the 

 lands and the nature of the climate, in regard to its warmth, 

 or the contrary. Thus, in the drier and more mellow and 

 porous defcriptions of foils, and the more warm and genial 

 climates, it may, in many cafes, be advantageous, not only 

 to fow in the wet, or rather moilt feafons, but alfo at more 

 early periods, than in fuch as are more retentive of humidity ; 

 as from the moilhire being commonly, in fuch forts of lands, 

 quickly dilTipated, a more certain and expeditious vege- 

 tation of the feed may in this way be fecured. But in the 

 more heavy and wet kinds of foil, where the climate is colder, 

 it will conilantly be a more beneficial method to choofe, if 

 pofiible, a dry and warm feafon for performing the bufmefi 

 of fownig or putting in the crops, as by fuch means the 

 i-rain will be more certain of vegetating, and in lefs danger 

 of perilhing by the over-abunJant wetnefs, and the want of 

 heat in fuch lands and climates. And it has been jultly 

 remarked by Dr. Darwin, that in fome clayey grounds, 

 much foftened by rain, if the feed be put into holes and a 

 dry feafon fucceed, an almoll impenetrable cruft may be 

 produced by the quick exhab-tion of the moilture, and 

 what is termed by the farmers, the fetting of the clay ; 

 and in this manner the vegetation and early growth of the 

 crop be much retarded, or in a great meafure prevented. 

 And that though it ha"; been ingenioufly fuggcfted that 

 ufeful purpofes in the early vegetation of fome forts of 

 plants may be anfwered by the fowing of the fruits or huflcs 

 that furround particular kinds of feeds and berries, no ex- 

 periments have yet been made to fliew whether the fowing 

 the chaff, or covering of the grain with it, might not, in 

 particular circumftances of the foil and climate, be of uti- 

 lity in affording it warmth and proteftion in the firll 

 ftages of its growth. 



With regard to the methods of fowing or putting the 

 lead into the earth, there are different ones in ufc, hot only 

 in diftridls where the nature and qualities of the foils are 

 different, but in thofe in which they liave have much fimi- 

 larity. It is obferved, that the moft general and common 

 mode, as well as that whxii is more or lefs prevalent in 

 almoll every part of the kingdom, is that of fowing or call- 

 ing the feed over the furface of the ground by means of the 

 hand, having it afterwards covered to a proper depth by 

 harrowing. In this method of performing the bufinefs, the 

 moft ufual praftice, efpecialiy where tlie ridges are equal in 

 breadth, and not of too great a width, as live or fix yards, 

 is that of difperfing the feed regularly over each land or 

 ridge in once walking round ; the ftedfrnan, by different 

 cafts of the hand, fowing one half gor.:g and the other in 

 returning. In doing this, it is the cullom of fome feedfmen 

 to fill the hand from the bafket or hopper which they 

 carry along with them, as they make one Hep forward, and 

 difperfe the feed in the time of performing the next ; while 

 others fcatter the feed, or make their cafts, as they are 

 termed by farmers, in advancing each Hep. Mr. Parkinfon 

 ftates, in the account which he has given of Triih farming, 

 that he found a good fower the moll difficult thing to be 

 met with ; m faft, he did not himfelf know the true art of 

 fowing feed broad-call until he went to America, and the 

 man from whom he took the idea there attracled his notice, 

 from the particular manner in which he walked while fow- 

 ing, which was precifely as if he had been blind, keeping his 

 eyes on the feed as he threw it, by continually looking 

 upwards. It is confequently evident, that in accomplifhing 

 this bufinefs with regularity and exaftnefs, upon which 

 much of the fuccefs of the crop muff depend, there is con- 



fiderable difficulty, and the proper knowledge and habit of 

 which can only be acquired by experience. Wherever this 

 method of putting in the feed is had recourfe to, it is con- 

 fequently of importance for the farmer either to perform 

 the operation himfelf, or to be careful in feledling fuch 

 perfons as are converfant with the bufinefs, as he may other- 

 wife incur much unneceffary expence in the wafte of feed, 

 and run confiderable rifk in refpedl to his crop. Mr. 

 Marlhall, finding a great walle and inconvenience attending 

 the broad-caft. fowing, ordered his feedfman to walk on the 

 left-hand inner furrow, with his face towards the land to 

 be fown, and to make his call diagonally, not acrofs the 

 land. This gave him a great fcope ; and after a few- 

 minutes prailiee he made very good work : before night 

 he walked at the rate of three or four miles an hour, and 

 though a young feedfman, made as good work as could be 

 wifhed. A man walking in the Imnoth, open, inner furrow, 

 may foiv three acres in lefs time, with more eafe, than one 

 walking among the rough clods and loofe mould could fow 

 two acres. This method proved fuperior to the ufual way, 

 being cropped as well, and with lefs feed. Tlie extra ex- 

 pence of fowing is about two-pence an acre, but the faving 

 of the feed was at leall two (liiUmgs per acre. The method 

 obferved was for the feedfman to walk up one fide of the 

 rid'~e or bed, and down the other fide ; always keeping his 

 face, and the hand with which he fows, towards the bed he 

 is fowing. He always keeps his eye on the edge of the 

 oppofite interfiirrow, and delivers his feed principally on 

 the fide of the bed next to it : as he returns, the fides of 

 courfe are rcverfed, and the beds become evenly feeded. 

 An old feedfman, who has been ufed to throw large hand- 

 fnls with all his might, in wide cads ftraight acrofs his 

 walk, will find it aukward at firll to make the fnug diagonal 

 call which is neceffaryin fowing five-bout beds fingly. 



But it is obferved, that the ufual way of fowing in broad-- 

 call cannot aiifwer all the intentions of placing the feed 

 properly in the earth, and mull be attended with feveral 

 inconveniencies : fuch as the feed's becoming th<; prey of 

 various birds and animals ; its being laid fo fuperficially, 

 that the fun often parches it, or a long continued rain, in- 

 itead of promoting a kindly vegetation, foaks into the 

 grains, and burlts them ; the feed is very unequally fown, 

 becaule of the inequality of the handfuls which different 

 fowers grafp, and a great part of it necefiarily falls together 

 into hollows, where the furface of the ground is any way 

 unequal, &c. And that, fenfible of thefe diladvantages, 

 farmers have, efpecialiy for their winter grain, fometimes 

 adopted the metliod of fowing under-furrow, that is, fowing 

 one half of the feed in broad-caft, and then ploughing it in ; 

 and afterwards fowing the other half, which is covered by 

 harrowing. But this method is alfo liable to almoll as 

 many objeftions as the other ; for the quantity fown in each 

 particular fpot, and the equal diftribution which ought to 

 take place throughout the whole, cannot but be even more 

 uncertain than in the broad-call, where the whole is fown 

 at once ; nor dares the farmer, in this fowing under furrow, 

 omit fowing the fecond quantity, left a great part of what 

 has been ploughed down be buried fo deep that it cannot 

 rife, efpecialiy if the foil is at all llrong. And another 

 general fault in the common way of fowing is, that too 

 much feed is employed ; partly becaufe cuilom has efta- 

 bliftied a kind of rule in that refpeft, and partly on account 

 of the allowances which it is neceffary to make for what the 

 birds eat, and for what lies too deep ever to rife ; the cir- 

 cumftances by which a very great quantity of corn is abfo- 

 lutely loft. See Broad-cast Sowing. 



There are inconveniencies and difficulties in this manner 



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