Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume I, A-B.pdf/96

 6n AGRICULTURE. way,' than thofe railed in our gardens, except fuch as are This machine is eafily wrought by two horfes. A, is the happer for containing the feed; B, circular boxes fown upon newly trenched ground. for receiving the feed from the happer; C C, two fquare boxes which receive the feed from fmall holes in the cirboxes, as they turn round; and lift of all, the feed Sect. VI. Principles and Advanta- iscular dropped into the drills through holes in the fquare ges of the New Husbandry. boxes, behind the coulters D. The cylinder E follows, which, together with the wheel F, regulates the The general principles of the new hufcandry may be depth of the coulters, and covers the feed; the harrow G reduced to two, viz? the promoting the growth of comes behind all, and covers the feed more completely. plants by hoeing, and the faring of feed; both of H H, two Aiders, which, when drawn out, prevent the which are equally profitable to the farmer. feed from falling into the boxes ; and, I, is a ketch which But, before illuflrating thefe principles and advanta- holds the rungs, and presents the boxes from turning, ges, it will be neceilary to defcribe the imiruments that and lofmg feed at the ends of the ridges. are commonly ufed in cultivating land by this new me- —Fig. 7. is a fingle hoe-plough of a very Ample conthod. ftruclion, by which the earth, in tlse intervals, is ftirPlate IX. fig. i. is a marking plough. The principal red and laid up, on both fides, to the roots of the plants, -life of this plough is to {height and regulate the ridges. and, at the fame time, the weeds are deftroyed. A A The firit line is traced by the eye, by means of three the mold-boards, which may be raifed or deprefled at poles, placed in a ftreight line. The plough draws the pleafure, according as the farmer wants to throw the firft furrow ih the diredlion of this line; and, at the earth higher or lower upoh the roots. fame time, with the tooth A, fixed in the block of wood near the end of the crofs-poll or Aider B B, marks the Advantages of Horfe-hoeing. breadth of the ridge at the diliance intended. The ploughman next traces the fecond line or rutt made by The advantages of tillage before fowing have already the tooth, and draws a fmall furrow along it; and con- been pointed out. In this place we muft, confine ourtinues in this manner till the whole field is laid out in felves to the utility of tillage after fowing. This kind ftreight and equidiftant ridges. of tillage is moft generally known by the name of horfe—Fig. 2. is a plough forbreakingup lee, or turning up hoeing. the bottom of land when greatly exhaufted. By its con- Land fowed with wheat, however well it may be cultiftru&ion, the width and depth of the furrows can be re- vated in autumn, finks in the winter; the particles get gulated to a greater certainty than by any other hitherto nearer together, and the weeds rife; fo that in fpring, known in this country. Its appearance is heavy; but the land is nearly in the fame fituation as if it never had two horfes are fulRcient to plough with it in ordinary been ploughed. This, however, is the feafon when it free land; and" only four are neceffary in the ftiffeft clay- Aiould branch and grow with moft vigour; and confejfoils. This plough is likewife eafily held and tempered. quently ftands moft in need of ploughing or hoeing, to A, is the fword .fixed in the fizers B, which runs thro’ deftroy the weeds, to fupply the roots with frefii earth, a mortoife at the- end of the beam E, and regulates the and, by dividing anew the particles of the foil, to allow . depth of the furrow, by raifing or depreffing the beam ; the roots to extend and coiled: nourilhment. it is fixed by putting the pin D, through the beam and It is well known, that, in gardens, plants grow with double vigour after being hoed or tranfplanted. If fword, and is moveable at E. -r—Fig. 3. is a jointed break harrow with 24 teeth Iha- plants growing in Arable land could be managed with eafe ped like coulters, and (landing at about an angle of 80, and fafety in this manner, it is natural to exped, that degrees. By this inftrumentthe land is finely pulverifed, their growth would be promoted accordingly. Expeand prepared for receiving the feed from the drill. It rience Ihows, that this is not only praftie^ble, but atrequires four horfes in ftiff, and two in open land. This tended with many advantages. harrow is likewife ufed for levelling the ridges; this is In the operation of hoeing wheat, thoughTome, of the done by preffing it down by the handles where the ridge roots be moved or broke, the plants receive no injury;, is high, and raifing it up when low. for this very circumftance makes them fend forth a greater —Fig. 4. is an angular weeding harrow, which may number of roots than formerly, which enlarge their pafollow the break when neceflary. The feven hindmoft fture, and confequently augment their growth. teeth fliould (land at a more acute angle than the reft, Sickly wheat has often recovered its vigour after a in order to colleft the weeds, which the holder can drop good hoeing, efpecially when performed in weather not at pleafure, by raifing the hinder part, which is fixed to very hot or‘dry. the body of the harrow by two joints. Wheat, and fuch grain as is fown before winter, re—Fig. 5. is a pair of harrows with lhafts. This har- quires hoeing more than oats, barley, or other grain rowis ufed for covering the feed in the drills, the horfe fown in the fpring ; for, if the land has been well going in the furrow. ploughed before the fowing of fpring-corn, it neither has -—Fig. 6. is a drill-plough, cor.ftrucled in fuch a man- time to harden nor to produce many weeds, not having ner as to fow at once two rows of beans, peafe, or wheat. been expofed to the winter’s mow and rain.