126 



On the Cultivation of Oats. 



slighter furrow than common is made every 6 yards. A 6-yard 

 ridge should contain 24 furrows, each 9 inches broad, and in order 

 to have them all lying at 45^, the proper angle of inclination, the 

 depth should be rather more than 6 inches — -by mathematical cal- 

 culation 6 * 3639 inches. In ploughing lea either in 6 or 12-yard 

 ridges, the last fast furrow of each ridge should be turned over 

 by a plough drawn by one horse, or if necessary two horses, 

 walking in the open furrow; because when two horses walk 

 abreast in performing this operation, the one on the left side of 

 the ploughm.an must walk on the ploughed land, which if wet or 

 clayey, will be more or less poached in consequence. On dry 

 light land this is of little consequence. Lea ground should never 

 be ploughed when the furrows are so wet as to become glazed by 

 the action of the mouldboard, unless it be very early in winter and 

 in a locality where there is usually plenty of frost to counteract 

 the bad effects of wet ploughing. To plough too wet in spring 

 is sure to produce a hardened furrow on the first appearance of 

 drought, which never breaks down kindly however much it may 

 be harrowed. 



Bowing and Harrowing. — The general practice in Scotland is 

 to sow oats broadcast on the winter furrow, and to cover in the 

 seed by two, three, or four harrows coupled together, and drawn 

 by as many horses. On clay farms, where the ridges are narrow, 

 two harrows, drawn by two horses, are generally used, but on dry 

 land farms three or four harrows are generally employed, one 

 horse to each, and the whole driven by one man. In sowing oats 

 broadcast an active man can easily get over 25 acres of level land 

 in a day, and on hilly ground about 5 acres less. Six harrows, 

 three and three together, drawn by six horses and driven by two 

 men, follow the sower and give a double stroke in the direction of 

 the ridges. The next double stroke is either given across the 

 field or obliquely, and if the land is moderately friable, another 

 single stroke in the same direction as at first will generally be 

 sufficient to finish the operation of harrowing. Old, tough lea, 

 or wet ploughed land requires a far greater amount of harrowing 

 than this to bring it into a proper tilth. Two double strokes are 

 given in the direction of the ridges to break the furrows and 

 prevent the turf from being torn up by the cross harrowing, and 

 it is seldom that the operation can be properly accomplished with 

 less than six double strokes or twelve harrowings. The previous 

 use of a heavy press-roller greatly facilitates the operation of har- 

 rowing, and renders it also more effective. When the harrowing 

 of the seed has been accomplished, the open furrows should be 

 cleaned out with a double-moulded plough, and water-furrows cut 

 across the lower end ridge, and also any part of the field where 

 water is apt to stagnate. It is not usual to roll oats unless the 



