264 Sketch of the present State of [April^ 



falls. There must be a descent or declivity towards these 

 furrows ; consequently, the ground on each side of the furrow 

 must be raised ; that is, there must be ridges. As to what the 

 height of the crown, or highest part of the ridge, ought to be 

 above the furrow, that must be such that the rain may run from 

 every part of the ridge into the furrow : but the declivity must 

 be more or less so^ according as the soil is more or less adhe- 

 sive. The point, then, to be attended to in forming ridges in a 

 clay-soil, is to make them of such breadth and height that the 

 whole surface water may easily ooze into the furrows. Conse^ 

 quently, it will be found that ridges of .30 or 40 feet will be too 

 broad, unless raised in the middle to an inconvenient height. 

 The most proper breadth in a clay-soil is by many judicious 

 farmers supposed to be from 12 to 18 feet, the surface forming 

 pearly the segment of a circle. When the under-soil is pervious 

 to water, the ridges may be flat, and of any breadth ; or, as has 

 been already said, ridges are not indispensably necessary. These 

 rules, we believe, are attentively observed by -some judicious 

 farmers, and overlooked by others of equal reputation. We may 

 farther observe, that these rules respecting raised and rounded 

 ridges are equally applicable to all impervious soils when the 

 surface is flat, and whatever crops are raised, whether corn, or 

 turnips, or potatoes. 



General Rules observed in managing tfib Soil.-— 

 Tlie proprietor of land may be considered as the trader who 

 furnishes the farmer with the raw material. The farmer may be 

 considered as the manufacturer whose object is to alter and ira- 

 prove the soil or raw material, so as to produce the greatest 

 profits to himself. His aim, therefore, is to raise the most 

 lucrative crops, in as great abundance as possible, and at the 

 least expense, lie studies with care all the means which expe- 

 rience points out as most conducive to this end. 1. The sojl 

 must be drained if wet, 2. As weeds would rob his crops of 

 their nourishment, he must clear the soil as much as possible 

 of weeds. 3. The soil must be plentifully supplied with food for 

 the crops he wishes tp raise. 4. The soil must be pulverized, 

 that the minute parts of the food may attach themselves to the 

 small earthy particles, and thus be more easily communicated to 

 the fine vessels of the root, and stems and leaves of the plants : 

 also fhat the spil may be more accessible to heat and rain. 

 5. But £18 it is well known from experience that if a field were to 

 be ^pwp every year with the same kind of seed, the nourishment 

 would soon be e:iihausted, it is necessary to discover what is the 

 best rotation suited to the soil for procuring lucrative crops by 

 the Ipast exhaustion of nourishment. All these things have been 

 attende<3 to in Berwickshire. 



First, then, the land is drained 3 next, it is clejired of weeds^ 



6 



