108 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 2. 
extent a reduction of expenses might be made in the 
tillage of the land. 
Eor this purpose, I selected a field of ten acres, the 
soil a deep loam, upon brick earth, and the previous 
crop wheat, which had been manured and sown after 
one ploughing out of clover lea. Having been seeded 
with Italian Rye-grass in the month of March, it 
afforded food for sheep from September to December. 
After being divided into equal parts of five acres each, 
the following course of tillage was pursued :— 
No. 1 .—Five Acres wider the usual system. 
£ s. d. 
In December, one deep ploughing, at per acre 
In February, two draggings - 
„ two harrowings - 
„ one rolling ... 
In March, one ploughing 
5 > 
four draggings 
four harrowings 
two rollings 
In May, one ploughing 
„ two draggings 
„ four harrowings 
„ two rollings 
No. 2 .—Five Acres under the improved sy 
In December, one deep ploughing, at per acre 
In April, two draggings 
„ two harrowings - 
,, one rolling - 
In May, one scarifying - - - 
„ two harrowings 
,, one rolling - 
0 
12 
U 
0 
1 
6 
0 
1 
0 
0 
0 
9 
0 
10 
0 
n 
Q 
O 
0 
0 
‘) 
rv 
0 
0 
1 
6 
0 
8 
0 
o 
1 
6 
0 
0 
n 
0 
1 
6 
.€2 
4 
!J 
stem. 
£ 
s. 
d. 
0 
12 
0 
0 
1 
C 
0 
1 
0 
0 
0 
9 
0 
5 
0 
0 
.1 
0 
0 
0 
9 
T1 
O 
A* 
0 
The following statement will show the crop of Swedish 
Turnips, for which the preparation was, in every respect, 
similar, except as regards tillage 
Cost of 
Cost of 
Time 
Sort 
Kind 
Weight of 
No. 
Tillage 
Manure 
of 
of 
of 
produce 
per acre. 
per acre. 
Drilling. 
Swede. 
Manure. 
per acre. 
£ s. d. 
£ s. d. 
tns cwt qrs 
1 
2 4 9 
2 2 0 
May 2nd 
Sldrving’s. 
Night soil, 
27 12 0 
Bones, 
and Ashes. 
2' 
1 2 0 
2 2 0 
Same. 
Same. 
Same. 
28 7 0 
Although I am by no means prepared to advocate 
what I here term the improved system, under all circum¬ 
stances, still I am of opinion, that upon every soil free 
from twitch or couch grass, it may he carried out suc¬ 
cessfully; as it will be seen, from the result of this ex¬ 
periment, that the improved system of tillage cost less 
than the usual method by 24s. 9d. per acre, whilst the 
acreable produce was greater by 15 cwt. 
I have invariably found, when the season has been 
dry, in the cultivation of strong or mixed soils, the 
weather-beaten surface alone will ensure a fine tilth; it 
being always doubtful, after spring ploughing, whether 
a fine surface can again be obtained in time for sowing, 
and, if obtained, it will be by the application of costly 
labour; whereas, by using the scarifier instead of the 
plough, the tillage can be deepened without turning the 
soil, and still retain the stale and pulverised surface. 
Again, with regard to light, chalky, or gravelly soils, 
by ploughing we lose the moisture of the land which is 
required for the vegetation of the seed—the time of 
sowing is often delayed, in consequence, beyond the 
proper period. Thebe is, also, another great objection 
to the spring ploughing of land, for, being made very 
dry, it is highly productive of the wirewonn and grub", 
the two most destructive insects by which the plant is 
attacked. 
It may, perhaps, be scarcely necessary to observe, 
that the advocates for much ploughing are compelled, 
in wet seasons, to lay by the plough until the return of 
fine weather, when it is often found so much time has 
been lost, that the land cannot receive the usual number 
of ploughings before the time of sowing has arrived, in 
which case the scarifier will prove a good substitute for 
the plough. Joseph Blundell. 
(To be continued.) 
THE DANGER AND THE DELIVERER, 
By the Authoress of “ My Flowers.” 
I know there is at least one family in England who will 
he interested to know something more of Betty G—, the 
“Widow Indeed.” It is pleasant to know of a surety that 
wo are writing what some one or other will certainly be 
pleased to read, and therefore I shall give this little account 
with real pleasure, not only because it will he welcome to 
two or three hearts, who are unknown and yet well-known 
to me, hut because it signally displays the tender love, the 
faithful promise, the watchful care, of the covenant God; 
and loudly says to us all, “ Blessed is the man that trustefh 
in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.” 
The little sketch I gave, some months ago, of the “ Widow 
Indeed,” was—the means appointed by God for giving her 
“food convenient for her,” and fulfilling His promise to 
her, as she believed He would. Let us all take example and 
encouragement, not ignorantly and sinfully to presume, hut 
humbly, faithfully, and intelligently to “ trust and not he 
afraid.” 
It pleased God, in whose hands are the wills and affections 
of men, to stir up two hearts to help this widow, and, by their 
kind liberality, to make the residue of her days easy, and 
indeed abundant. She now wants for nothing; and it is 
delightful to see her face quite radiant with happiness, and 
to observe the unchanged carefulness and thrift she still 
maintains. Nothing can persuade her to spend one farthing 
more than she really needs; and she is as saving and as self- 
denying as ever. The only little outbreak of grandeur we 
ever witnessed was the air with which she conferred her 
instructions to the “ gingerbread man ” to bring her a larger 
supply! Poor Betty! she treasures up her little earnings 
with the strictest integrity, that she may not be extravagant 
in that which is so generously and munificently bestowed. 
Let all this be a lesson to high and low, to use, with modera¬ 
tion and care, the good things sent to us by the Lord, that 
we may have “to give to them who need,” and not to misuse 
the much or the little He sees fit to entrust to us. 
Two months ago, a very severe, alarm and shock befell 
Betty, through which she was almost miraculously preserved. 
It was a pouring Sunday; the rain fell in such torrents that 
scarcely any one could get to church, and it lasted till about 
three o’clock in the afternoon. Betty told me afterwards, 
that something seemed to incline her so strongly to fill all 
her tubs and pails and pans with water, that in spite of the 
rain, she got every empty vessel she could find out in her little 
back yard to catch the water, and they very soon brimmed over. 
She said she had never done such a thing before, for there 
is a well close to her front door, and a neighbour draws 
whatever she requires. This is a very remarkable instance 
of God’s providence, and plainly and affectingly shows how 
He condescends to regard, not only His humblest creatures, 
