| XXX | (69) | XXX |
69 A G R I C U L T IT R E. winter, fupplies the plants with excellent food, and makes 4 the roots extend. Of Sowing. The third hoeing, which is intended to invigorate the ftiould be given when the ears of the corn begin As, in the praftice of the new hufoandry, plants grow toftalk, ftiew themfelves. This hoeing may, however, be very with greater vigour than by the old method, the land flight. fhould be fowed thinner. It is this principle of the new But the laft hoeing is of the greateft importance, as hufbaodry that has been chiefly objected to; for, upon it enlarges the grain, and makes the ears fill at their exobferving the land occupied.by a fmall number of plants, This hoeing ihould be given when the wheat people are apt to look upon all the vacant fpace as loft. istremities. bloom ; a furrow muft be drawn in the middle of But this prejudice will foon be removed, when it is con- theininterval, earth thrown to the right and left fidered, that, in the belt land cultivated in the common on the foot ofandthetheplants. the plants, method, and fown very thick, each feed produces but. prevents them from being laid,Thisand fupports prepares the ground one or two ears; that, in the fame land fown thinner, for the next fowing, as the feed is then to be put in the every feed produces two or three ears; and that a fingle middle of the ground that formed the intervals. feed fometimes produces eighteen or twenty ears. this fucceilive tillage, or hoeing, good crops will In the common method, as there are many more be By obtained, provided the weather is not very unfavourplants than can find fuflicient nourilhment, and as it is able. impoflible to aflift them by hoeing, numbers die before they attain maturity, the greateft part remain fickly and But as ftrong, vigorous plants are longer before they at maturity, corn railed in the new way is later drooping; and thus part of the feed is loft. On the con- arrive trary, in the new method, all the plants have as much in ripening than any other, and muft therefore be fown food as- they require; and as they are, from time to earlier. time, kffifted by hoeing, they become fo vigorous as to In order to prepare the intervals for fowing again, equal in their production the numerous, but fickly plants fome v/ell-rotted dung may be laid in the deep furrows made in the middle of the intervals; and this dung muft cultivated in the common method. be covered with the earth that was before thrown towards the rows of wheat. But, if the land does not reGf Hoeing. quire mending, the deep furrow is filled without any dung. This operation fhould be performed immediately The new hulbandry is abfolutely impracticable in that there may be time to give the land a lands that are not eafily ploughed. Attempting to cul- after harveft, ftirring before the rows are fowed; which fliould tivate land according to this hulbandry, without attend- flight the middle of the fpace which formed the intering to this circumftance, that it is practicable in no land, occupy vals during the laft crop. The intervals of the fecond excepting fuch as have already been brought into good year tilth by the old method, lias gone far to make it con- firft. take up the fpace occupied by the ftubble of the temptible in many places. When a field is in good tilth, it Ihould be fown .fo Suppofing dung to be neceflary, which is denied by thin as to leave fuffieient room for the plants to extend many, a very fmail quantity is fufficient; a fingle layer, their roots. After being well ploughed and harrowed, put in the bottom of each furrow, will be enough. it muft be divided into rows, at the diftance of 30 inches from one another. On the fides of each <Jf thefe rows, Summary cf the Operations necejfary in executwo rows of wheat muft be fowgd fix inches diftant from tingthe New Husbandry with tlx Plough. each other. By this means there will be an interval of two feet wide betwixt the* rows, and every plant will r. It is indifpenfibly neceftary that the farmer be have room enough to extend its roots, and to fupply it provided with a drill and hoe-plough. with food. The intervals will likewife be fufficient for 2. The new hufbandry may be begun either with the allowing the earth to be hoed or tilled without injuring winter or fpring corn. the plants in the rows; Tire land muft be prepared by four good ploughThe firft hoeing, which Ihould be given before the ings,3. given at different times, from the beginning of Awinter, is intended to drain away the wet, and to dif- pril to the middle of September. pofe the earth to be mellowed by the frofts. Thefe two 4. Thefe ploughings muft be done in dry weather, to ends will be anfwered by drawing two fmall furrows at prevent the earth from kneading. a little diftance from the rows, and throwing the earth 5. The land muft be harrowed in the fame manner as taken from the furrows into the middle of the intervals. fowed in the common way. Tiiis firft hoeing ftiould be .given when the wheat is in if it6.were The rows of wheat fhould be fowed very ftraight. leaf. 7. When the field is not very large, a line muft be The fecond hoeing, which is intended to make the acrofs it, by which a rill may be traced with a plants branch, .ftiould be given after die hard frofts are ftrained hoe for the horfe draws the drill to go in; and, over. To do this with advantage, after furring the when the rows are that fown, fifty inches muft be left betwixt earth a little, near the rows, the earth which was thrown each rill. But, when the field is large, flakes at fiye in the middle of the intervals ftiould be turned back indiftance from each other, muft be placed at the two to the furrows. This earth, having been mellowed by the feet ends. The workman muft then trace a fmall furrow, Vol. I. No. 3. 3 S with
