T U R 



not be eafily made level, but require fo much beating as 

 often to greatly injure and deftroy the turf, as well as to be 

 produftive of a great wafte of time and labour, thereby 

 caufing a groat deal of unneceffary expence. Befides, fuch 

 work under thefe circumftances can never be done fo well as 

 where the contrary is the cafe. 



TvRV-^Jhes, in Agrifulture, thofe formed from any fort 

 of turfy or peaty matters. Turf-a(hes have been ufed as a 

 manure on poor thin foils, in fome diftrifts, with great efFeft 

 and advantage, and for potatoe crops ; but they are probably, 

 in general, the beil when employed as top-dreflings for graffes 

 and certain kinds of crops. See Tov-Drejfmg. 



The alhes formed from turf or peat in Berkrtiire have 

 lately increafed greatly in value, in confequence of their ge- 

 neral application as a top-drefling to clovers and other forts 

 of artificial graffes, as well as to tares, turnips, and occafion- 

 ally wheat in the young ftate of its growth. The ufuaLtime 

 of applying them is the very early fpring. They are there 

 commonly taken in carts, and fown by the hand over the 

 ground, either before or after the feed for the crop is fown. 

 But when ufed only as a top-dreffmg, they are merely fown 

 on the furface of the land evenly by the hand. The quan- 

 tity made ufe of is moftly from twelve to fifteen flatute 

 hulhels to the acre, as the foil and crops may be. It is be- 

 lieved, that too large quantities would be hurtful. Some 

 do not hold them in much eftimation for grain crops, or 

 thofe of the pea kind ; but they are preferred to all other 

 manures, efpecially for all forts of artificial grafs. In turnip 

 crops, they are faid to affift much in preventing the ravages 

 of the fly ; and in thofe from the feeds of grafs, the farmers 

 fuppofe, that on an acre which is manured with them, the 

 produce in hay will be nearly a ton more than what it would 

 have afforded without them. 



On meadow-land too, in fome cafes, from fifteen to twenty 

 bufhels of thefe afhes may be laid with great improvement to 

 the grafs. The effeft of them is fuppofed to be not of 

 longer duration than two years. 



Several acres may be gone over with the fowing of the 

 aihcs in the courfe of a day, by one perfon and a two-horfe 

 cart. See Ashes and Sulphate. 



TuRF-Dr/jm, a term applied to that fort which is formed 

 in turfy fituations, and fiUed with turves or peats ; and 

 which is done in an ufeful, neat, and fuccefsful manner m 

 many diftrifts, efpecially in Lancafliire, as may be feen in 

 the correfted agricultural report of that county. It alfo fig- 

 nifies a fod-drain. See SuRFACE-Z)ra!'n. 



An improved mode of turf or fod-draining may hkewife 

 be met with in the report on agriculture for Chefliire. 



Tw-r-Hedge, that fort of fence which is formed by means 

 of fods, or the dug -up turf, and plants of different kinds. 

 For turf-hedges that are to be fix feet high when finifiied, 

 fix-feet bafes are allowed in fome places, as in Cornwall ; and 

 as they fettle a good deal, half the height is only built at a 

 time, with the fillmg well ridged up in the middle to throw 

 off the wet. This remains to fettle perfeftly, when the other 

 half is laid, and the proper plants or cuttings put in. This 

 is thought to be an improvement in the forming of this fort 

 of fence. See Fence. 



TvKv-Houfe, in Raral Economy, that fort which is formed 

 of the turf cut from land, and which is common m the 

 northern pants of the ifland. 



TvKV-Mofs, or Bog, a term applied to a traft or extent 

 of turfy, moffy, or boggy land, from which turf is cut, or 

 which ftands in need of being reclaimed and brought into 

 order by fuitable draining, and the proper application of 

 weighty earthy fubftances of different kinds. See B.OG, 

 Moor, and Moss. 



Vol.. XXXVI. 



T U R 



TvKV-Spade, a tjool of tliis kind, which is ufed in cutting 

 turf for fuel. It is about four feet in length witli the 

 handle, and four inches in breadth, being made fliarp in the 

 mouth-part, and having an ear or (harp iron on one fide of 

 it, which is bent or turned up to a right angle, that fcrves 

 to cut and feparate one fide of the turf from the bed of turfy 

 matter, as the back and mouth of the implement do the 

 other. 



The work of cutting the turves for burning by means of 

 this fpade, is performed fomewhat in this manner: the 

 ground being firft marked out on the furface in a ftraight 

 line, of a length at pleafure, and between three and four 

 feet in width, is then dug level on the furface with a com- 

 mon fpade, the whole of the bad and imperfeft turfy parts 

 being removed. The turf is then out by a perfon Handing 

 in the pit or ditch, with the narrow fpade defcribed above, 

 which is (hod at the lower end with iron, as has been faid, in 

 a (harp manner. By this means every turf is cut and formed 

 into a long fort of fquare, which is then taken from the 

 workman, and fpread on the gpround in a clofe manner, until 

 dry, when they are fet up on end, three or four together, 

 and afterwards put up into windrows and fmall Hacks, till 

 ready to be led or carried home for ufe. 



The fpade which is made ufe of in cutting the turf or 

 peat for being reduced into afties in Berk(hire, is fomewhat 

 of this form too, but it has a confiderably greater length of 

 the mouth-part. The turf or peat, when dug by it, is car- 

 ried from the fpot in little wheel-barrows, to a (hort diftancc, 

 where it is fpread on the ground, and after lying fome days, 

 the pieces are turned, which after being feveral times repeated, 

 a heap is made of it, in the middle of which dry turf is 

 put, which is fet fire to, and the whole (lowly burnt, addi- 

 tional quantities of turf or peat being occafionally fupplied, 

 fo as that the burning may be (low and fmothering. The 

 heap is moilly of a circular form, and rather flat at top, 

 being fmall at firft, but ultimately fometimes two or three 

 yards in depth, and fix or feven in diameter. 



The remaining materials, when paffed through a riddle, 

 are taken away, in a covered maimer, to great diftances. 



TvRF-Stueating, an Indian method of curing difeafes, 

 which has been found to fucceed very happily on many- 

 trials. 



Paul Dudley, efq. gives an account of a man of feventy- 

 four years old in New England, who drinking cold water 

 when very hot, had a pain fettled in one fide and arm, which 

 baffled all art to remove ; till after nine weeks' confinement 

 to his bed, when he was given over by every body, it was 

 propofed to try this method of cure upon him. 



An oven full of turf was ordered to be cut ; tlie turves 

 were of about eighteen inches fquare each, and were of the 

 nature of the Engli(h turf ufed in gardens. 



The Indian doctor, before the turf was put into the oven, 

 rubbed over their graffy fide with fome fort of oil or fpirit, 

 and then putting the two grafs fides together, placed them 

 in the oven. When they had been two hours there, and 

 were weU baked, he took them out, and made a bed upon 

 the floor, the place for the head being a little raofcd ; the 

 old man was then taken out of bed without his (hirt, but 

 wrapped in a (heet, and being laid on the turf-bcd, fuel, 

 another parcel of the hot turf was laid over him. 1 he turt 

 was laid thickeft on that fide where the pain was, but none 

 of it was put on his breaft or head. . ■ . . 



He was then covered with a blanket to keep m the heat, 

 and while he was in this warm bath, he was continually 

 fupplied with warm cordials to keep him from fainting, ot 

 which he was in great danger. After he had lain in thi 

 bath about three quarters of an hour, which was as long as 

 3H 



