TILLAGE. 



expofure to froft, rain, &c. fo efFoftually break down the 

 hardcil foils, that other meafures are, it is thought, ren- 

 dered Icfs iieceflary. Since the above was written, how- 

 ever, many ufeful inftruments have been formed, by which 

 tillage-cultivation is not only rendered more cffeftive, but 

 more eafy and expeditious, as may be feen by the defcrip- 

 tions which have been given of them under their different 

 proper heads. See Dkag, Scarifier, Scuffler, Spike- 

 Roller, &c. 



M. Duhamel has fince too obferved in his " Elements of 

 Agriculture," that fome believe it is more advantageous to 

 iucreafe the fertility of land by frequent ploughing and 

 other means than by manure ; becaufe, in general, only a 

 certain quantity of nupure can be procured ; as twenty acres 

 of land will, in common cafes, fcarcely produce as much 

 manure as is neceffary for five ; whereas the particles of the 

 earth may be divided and fubdivided almoil to infinity. 

 The aids, therefore, which are derived from manure, mull, 

 it is fuppofed, be limited, wbilft no bounds can be fct to the 

 benefits that may accrue from ploughing or breaking down 

 and reducin'g the parts of the foil. This appears, the writer 

 thinks, to be over-rating the advantages of breaking the foil 

 down in other ways ; but, it is certain, that when the 

 particles of land or foil adhere fo clofely together as to im- 

 pede the extenfion of the roots of plants, in fearch of the 

 food and nourilhment they require, the plants themfelves 

 cannot grow with proper vigour, or yield a proper pro- 

 duce. This is therefore to be corrected by frequent plough- 

 ings, &c. And that, laftly, repeated ploughings and other 

 fuch means enable the land to receive and retain all the 

 benefits to be derited from the floating vapours and dews 

 of the atmofphere, which falling on hard ground, where it 

 cannot readily penetrate, is quickly exhaled by the next 

 day's fun and wind. 



Notwithftanding thefe remarks, it may, however, be no- 

 ticed, that no tillage or breaking down of the parts of the 

 foil, though ever fo complete and effeftual, can wholly fup- 

 ply the place of manure, although it may greatly contribute, 

 in different inftances, to affift. its fertiUty. 



Thefe are fome of the more general and partisular ways 

 in which tillage becomes fo effential and effedual in pro- 

 moting the fertility and improvement of land ; but there 

 are a few others, the proceffes of which may be feen under 

 their proper heads. 



In the tillage-cultivation for mod forts of crops of the 

 grain or corn kinds, as well as fome others, it becomes ef- 

 lentially necefiary that the foil fiiould be reduced to a very 

 confiderable degree of finenefs, or what is frequently termed 

 tilth by writers on hulbandry ; as, where this is not the cafe, 

 they can neither be fo well provided with food or nourifh- 

 ment, nor be kept fo perfeftly and fo fufficiently clean and 

 fi-ee from weedy matters. There are other reafons too that 

 require, at leaft, the more fuperficial parts of the foils to be 

 in a fine condition of tillage for the receiving of fuch crops, 

 which are thofe of the young tender roots of the new rifing 

 plants being thereby rendered more capable of fixing them- 

 felves perfectly in the mould \\ hich is produced, and of their 

 drawing from it a more regular fupply of food, in confe- 

 quence of the more equal diffufion of moifture and other 

 lubftances through it, which muft neceflarily take place. 

 Befides, it is favourable in other ways, as by fuch tillage 

 the feed-corn is not only more capable of being perfeftly 

 but equally covered, in confequence of which the vegetation 

 and growth of the young plants of it are more equal and 

 expeditious. 



But befides the ftate and condition of the foil or land in 

 regard to tilth, it (hould be in a fuitable fituation in refpeft 

 Vol. XXXV, 



to drynefs ; as where there is too great a degree of moifture 

 in it, the tillage can neither be performed in a proper man- 

 ner, nor the feed-corn be gut in without the danger of fuf- 

 taining injury by becoming rotten before the vogetati\'B pro- 

 cefs takes place, as not unfrequently happens to pea and 

 other garden crops, when put into the foil during the moilt 

 winter months : and where, on the contrary, the land is in 

 too dry a Hate, the tiUage is improper to be effcAed, as 

 caufing too much exhalation, by whicii the feed-corn, when 

 put in at fach periods, may be much injured by the want of 

 that moifture which is necefiary for perfeft vegetation. 

 Under the laft circumft:ance too, it may be rtore liable to 

 be defl:royed by worms, grubs, and other infefts. On 

 thefe accounts the arable farmer fliould, of courfe, be 

 equally attentive to the tillage preparation of the foil, and 

 the condition in which it may be cropped to the greateft 

 advantage, and with the greateft chance of fuccefs. 



The writer of the " Elements of Agricultural Chemiftry" 

 ftates, that in all cafes of tillage, the feeds ftiould be put in 

 fo as to be fully expofed to the influence of the air. And 

 that one caufe of the unproduftivenefs of cold clayey ad- 

 hefive foils is, that the feed becornes coated with matter 

 impermeable to air. All immediate tillage, for putting in 

 crops, fiiould confequently be performed as much as pof- 

 fible in fuitably dry weather on fuch forts of land. 



In iandy foils, he fays, the earth is always fufficiently pene- 

 trable by the atmofphere ; but in clayey foils there can 

 fcarcely be too great a mechanical divifion of the parts in 

 the procefs of tillage. 



In general, the beft and moft effeftual method of break- 

 ing down and bringing land into the ftate of proper tillage, 

 is by the ufe of the plough and diff^erent other implements 

 of the harrow kind, fuch as thofe which have been noticed 

 above, fuited to the intention of the cultivator, and the pe- 

 culiar nature of the land or foil. The tillage with the 

 plough fhould conftantly be performed according to the 

 nature of the foil, and that of the crop which is to be fown 

 or fet, and the operations whish are afterwards to be executed 

 upon it. But to whatever depth this may be proper to be 

 done, it is of much confequence to have it performed in an 

 exaft and effeftual manner ; as on this not unfrequently de- 

 pends the difference between a good and bad crop, as well 

 as that between the animals employed in the labour moving 

 with eafe and with difficulty. The repetitions in the tillage 

 of this fort muft be conftantly regulated by the quahty and 

 circumftances of the land and the deligns of the farmer, as 

 fome forts and cafes of land require much'more tillage than 

 others. This point is moft decidedly evinced in the Agri- 

 cultural Survey of the County of Gloucefter. On the 

 Cotfwolds, it is the praftice, the writer remarks, to fow 

 their crops on one ploughing, experience having proved that 

 frequent ploughings or tillage on thefe light foils, weaken 

 the ftaple of the land, and are produftive of injury. 



On the ftrong lands or foils of tlic county of Elfex, the 

 moft intelligent and fuccefsful praftical farmers, it is faid, 

 are thofe who are the moft careful in the repetition of tillage 

 of the plough kind, to which they conftantly attribute 

 great powers and effcfts. The ftrong heavy lands have it 

 eight or more times in many cafes, even for barley or oats ; 

 and on thofe which are lefs fo, the general fyftem of tillage 

 is moftly four or five times for the different f;dlow crops. 

 In this laft intention, it is not unufual to commence the firft 

 tillage ploughing towards November, continuing it nearly 

 or quite to the end of March, after barley fowing ; and if 

 at the firft period of fuch tillage the ridges be laid a little 

 round, fo as to be water-fhot, and after that well water-fur- 

 rowed, the tillage is greatly promoted. The land h moftly 



4 N firft 



