THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



The annexed figure, or diagram, will enable 

 me to explain more clearly the manner of 

 ploughing. The whole space represents a field, 

 or part of a field, which is divided by two long 

 depressions into three irregularly shaped 

 "cuts" or divisions, D, E and F. Along the 

 middle of the larger interior depression, there 

 had been kept open a narrow rain ditch, of the 

 usual shape, b, b, say 2 feet deep, and 3 wide, 

 (and which depth was necessary,) at which the 

 plough and teams had to turn, because of the 

 impassable obstruction. The other and smaller 

 depression had a grip (a, a.) say 15 inches 

 wide and 10 deep, across which the ploughs 

 passed, and which was filled, and required 

 cleaning out after every ploughing. A perma- 

 nent stream ditch, c, d, is one of the bounda- 

 ries, bordered on both sides by the lowest 

 ground of the field. A rain-ditch, g, b, d, 

 makes another boundary, a farm road another, 

 and on the fourth side is a fence along side of 

 the adjacent farm — or another field of the same 

 farm. 



It is desired to plough each of these cuts in 

 such manner as to throw every furrow-slice 

 from the outsides, and towards the centre, It 

 is supposed that the ditch b, b, and the grip a, 

 a, are in the best locations — that is, combining 

 as much as possible the requisites of having 

 the shortest courses that can be obtained in the 

 lowest ground. If any defect of location ex- 

 ists, it should be corrected, and the ditch or 

 grip be made correct in position. This being- 

 done, the next thing is to mark off the ground 

 for ploughing. The field is supposed to have 

 been left, after the last previous tillage, either 

 in broad beds, (25 feet or more,) high enough 

 and well-sloped — or in low and narrow beds, 

 previously designed to be ploughed flush, and 

 to be again bedded in the progress of tilling 

 the corn-crop. The farmer, or a careful and 

 intelligent man, and a boy, having each one 

 end of a strong, but light cord, (of strong 

 hemp twine,) about 75 feet long, will direct the 

 ploughman where to mark. Taking one cut, 

 (as I),) the man walks along the outside lines, 

 or as close thereto as the near horse of a plough 

 team can easily and safely walk. The boy car- 

 ries the string stretched, and keeps it at right- 

 angles to the outside line on which the man 

 walks. The ploughman, with a small one-horse 

 plough, or coulter, follows the track of the boy, 

 and barely scratches the ground, so as to make 

 a perceptible mark. If a larger furrow were 

 opened, it would be an inconvenience to the 

 main work. Thus, if beginning on the cut D, 

 the first line laid off, will be h, h, Ji, h, It, par- 

 allel to, and the length of the line distant from 

 the surrounding boundary line of the cut D. 

 At each angle, the plough should mark a little 

 beyond its supposed full distance, and then be 

 lifted back to the proper place indicated by the 

 length of the string, when stretched from the 

 next side. The intersection of the furrows will 

 mark the exact place for the angle. Thus each 



successive marking will be made, parallel to 

 and equidistant from the preceding, until the 

 work reaches nearly to the centre. If the last 

 circuit made, (?', i, ?',) does not permit the line 

 to be again used at its full length, it should be 

 shortened, to any less length, (say 30 or 40 

 feet,) and another and the smallest interior 

 space (D) marked around.* Next, the plough 

 should mark a line from each of the angles of 

 the inner space through the corresponding an- 

 gles to the outer boundary, as the dotted lines 

 are placed. The cut is now ready to be 

 ploughed. The plough is first run around the 

 small interior space (D) turning the slices to- 

 wards the centre. And as the furrows in the 

 beginning are very short, it will be best (to 

 save much trouble in the frequent turning,) 

 not then to use a team of more than two horses. 

 But as soon as the furrows are of sufficient 

 length, this temporary expedient should be 

 laid aside, and the larger plough and team suit- 

 able for the land be used. After a few furrows 

 are cut around the inside marked circuit, so as 

 to well designate the outline, then the small in- 

 terior space D should be ploughed outward ; or 

 any way will serve. The plough then resumes 

 its previous place and course, and continues to 

 go around, and to turn the slices inward. The 

 ploughman, in running every furrow, should 

 let the plough cut straight and fully up to, and 

 turn at the dotted lines. This will keep the 

 work right at the angles, in which places it 



would otherwise be sure to get out of order 



But with this care, and with cutting all the 

 furrows as straight and as equal as every 

 ploughman should do, the ploughing will go 

 on as correctly as in any other mode — and with 

 less loss of labor, and with more thorough ex- 

 ecution. More thorough, because there will 

 be no unbroken strips left, and only covered, 

 as in all ridge or bed-ploughing — and no unne- 

 cessary and barren water-furrows made, where 

 of no use, as in the closing of "lands" in all 

 flush-ploughing. Further — as the ploughman 

 approaches within a few yards of the next 

 marked line, and still more when nearer, he 

 has in that a test and guage of his previous 

 work, and a sure guide for the next succeed- 

 ing. Wherever his last cut furrows obviously 

 vary from being parallel to, or of equal dis- 

 tance from, the surrounding and nearest mark, 

 he has but to make the width of his subsequent- 

 ly cut-slices to suit and remedy the defects. 

 The differences of texture or condition of the 

 soil, or of the cover of vegetable matter, will 

 cause the plough to gain more in width in some 

 places than in others, if no care is used to pre- 

 vent. But with the guidance of the parallel 



* The engraver of the diagram has made it 

 very incorrect in not having the marked lines 

 parallel to each other throughout each of the 

 several cuts — as is described above, and as the 

 drawing also required. — e. r. 



