Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/193

Rh strong clays, or wet soils, nor less than 2 inches deep in all dry lands. Those which are intended to be drilled with carrot-seed, should be deeply ploughed; and for every half acre of land, one bushel of saw-dust and one of carrot-seed should be provided: the former ought to be well dried and sifted, in order to take out all the lumps and chips, and divided into eight equal parts. The carrot-seed should likewise be well dried, and rubbed between the hands, to take off the bears, so that it may readily separate. It must then be divided into a similar number of heaps or parcels: each of these is to be gradually mingled, till the whole of the seed and dust are thoroughly incorporated; in which state it may be regularly sown in drills, by the cups or ladles No. 2. One of these cups, when filled with saw-dust, will, upon an average, contain three or four carrot-seeds, by which means the whole of the latter will be distributed with the same regularity as any other grain or seed. If the wind should blow violently, so as to render it difficult to proceed in sowing the grain, that inconvenience may be obviated, by fixing a screen of matting or of canvas before the seed-box, which, together with the side wings (S, S, Fig. 1), will perfectly shelter the seed from wind or rain.

Directions for using the Horse-hoe.—Having already explained the construction, we shall briefly state a few circumstances relative to the management of this instrument.

In order to hoe a crop of any kind that is drilled at the distance of 9 inches, the horse ought to be conducted along the third row, or drill, computing the rows from the left side of the rows, drilled at one operation of the machine. The person who attends the hoe, should carefully keep the pin (B, Fig. 2) immediately over the third row of corn, by which means the implement cannot receive any injury.

For hoeing corn at 12 inches apart, the horse should be conducted along the second space, between the rows or drills, computing the spaces from the left side of the five rows, drilled at one operation of the machine.—The man attending the hoes, ought carefully to keep the pin (B, Fig. 2) directly over the middle of the second space, described as above: this rule will apply to the hoeing of ground at various distances.

Different soils require to be hoed with shares of a proportionate size, which experience alone can ascertain. In light sandy loams, or any other soils sufficiently pulverised, shares from 5 to 6 inches broad, for 9 inch drills, and 8 inches broad for 12 inch drills, may be safely and effectually worked: for strong clays intermixed with pebbles, the hoe-shares should be somewhat less in breadth. But, if the soil, in the spaces of the rows of corn, be pulverized with long narrow plates of iron, similar to chisels, being introduced into the shanks of the hoe-share, A, A, A, A, A, A, (Fig. 2) instead of hoe-plates, the advantages resulting from such a process will be very considerable.

Beside the hoeing of drilled corn, this horse-hoe may be applied to many useful purposes, particularly for cutting up the rows of stubble, as soon as the crop is harvested, together with such weeds as may have escaped the hoe: it may also be employed for the stirring of fallows, &c. after the rate