Part 69

This way my Turnep-seed has been ho’d, when one would have thought it impossible for a Plough and Horses to go betwixt the Rows without destroying the Crop. Almost in this manner we give our Wheat the last Hoeing, to turn the Furrow a Second time towards the Row. When the Plants of the Rows are very high, the Driver must go in the next Interval, on the Left of the Plough; and the Holder has a Cord, like the Reins of a Bridle, which he lays over the End of the Draw-pin, which keeps it from falling down, until he has occasion to use it for guiding or turning the Thiller.

When we turn the Furrow from the Row (which will then be ever on the left Side of the Plough), the Plough must be set in a very different and contrary Posture; but then the Plants commonly being low, there is no Danger of the Whipper’s or Limber’s hitching or taking hold of them; but the Driver must take care, that he does not tread on them, nor suffer any of the Horses to do so; and they of themselves, when they are not blind, take all the Care they can to avoid it; and I observe, that the Plants are oftener injured by the Driver, than by the Horses.

’Tis in this last-mentioned manner of Hoeing, when we go very near to the young Plants, the First or Second time, that we must take care of burying them with the Earth, which (especially when dry and fine) is apt to run over to the left Side of the Plough; this we can in great measure prevent, when the Ground is clean, by nailing with Three or Four Nails a very thin square Piece of Board to the Sheat, with one Corner bearing at, or below, a, in Fig. 1. and its other lower Corner bearing on the Back of the Coulter on its left Side at b, its upper Corner reaching to c or higher; its fore End is ty’d on to the Coulter by a leathern Thong passing thro’ an Hole very near the End of the Board. The lower Edge of the Board must come no lower than the prick’d Line a, b, which, at b, is just even with the Surface of the Ground, before it is rais’d by the Share; for if this Board should be set down too near the Share, the Plough would not go; but, being set in this manner, it prevents the Earth (when never so much pulveriz’d in the driest Weather) from running over upon the Plants to bury them, tho’ the Plough go very near them; except in this case, we never use a Board, the Earth running over to the left Side, being often advantageous in Hoeing; for it changes more Surface of the Ground, than if it went all to the right; and when in Summer we hoe from the Wheat-rows, not going very near to the grown Plants, this Earth that runs over the Share to the Left, helps to mend such Places where the Furrow was not thrown up close enough to the Row by the precedent Hoeing.

The first time we turn a Furrow towards the Row, the Horses go in the Trench near to it, and the Plough stands on the left Side of the Horse-path, almost in the same manner as when the Furrow is turn’d from the Row; but we very often make use of a common Plough, for throwing down the Ridge, which has lain all the Winter in the Middle of the Interval. One Wheel, going on each Side of that Ridge, holds that Plough to a great Exactness for splitting this Ridge into Halves, which the Earth-board, being set out for that Purpose, throws up to the Row on each Side of the Interval.

We also very often make use of the Two-wheel’d Plough, for raising up the Ridges, whereon we drill the Rows; not but that the Hoe-Plough will do every thing that is necessary to our Husbandry: Yet the common Ploughs being heavier than we usually make our Hoe-Ploughs, they by their Weight, and Help of their Wheels go a little steadier: and besides the Ploughmen, being more accustom’d to them, prefer them before all other, where their Wheels are of no Prejudice.

I never saw neater Ridges rais’d by any Plough, than by the Hoe-Plough, nor finer Plowing; and I believe that were it made as heavy, and as strong, it would outdo the Swing-Plough, in plowing miry Clays, where Plough-wheels cannot go; but I, haveing no such Land, have never made any Hoe-Plough heavy enough for it. However, I am convinc’d, by the many Trials which I have seen, that no other Plough can be used for every Horse-hoeing Operation, so effectually as this I have now describ’d.

The making the Hoe-plough is not difficult for a good Workman; and a few of the Holes for setting the Beam are sufficient, provided they are made in their proper Places, which is impossible for me to describe exactly in a Number that is no more than necessary; because the Distance the Plough must go from the Horse-path on either Side, is uncertain, as the Largeness or the Depth of the Furrow is; and for that Reason, it is as impossible for me direct the Ploughman to the particular Angles, at which his Beam must be set with the Plank, to keep the Share parallel to the Horse-path, as it is to direct a Fidler, how far he must turn his Pegs to give his Strings their due Tension for bringing them all in Tune, which without a Peg to each String could never be done; but when he has his just Number of Pegs, his Ear will direct him in turning them, till his Fiddle is in Tune; so the Ploughman by his Eyes, his Feeling, and his Reason, must be directed in the setting his Plough; but without a competent Number of Holes, he can no more do it than a Musician can tune Four Strings upon one Peg. And I am told, that some Pretenders to making the Hoe-Plough have fix’d its Beam to the Plank immoveable, which makes it as useless for hoeing betwixt Rows, as a Violin with but one Peg to its Four Strings would be for playing a Sonata.

Fig. 5. shews the Sort of Yoke, that is us’d on every Ox that draws in a single File, as they always must when they work with the Hoe-plough; but after they have been accustom’d to draw double (i. e. Two abreast) they must be practis’d for about a Week to draw single, before they are set to Hoeing; for otherwise they will be apt to demolish the Rows, one running off to the right-hand, expecting his Fellow to come up with him on the Left, and another will run off on the Left to make room for his Companion to go abreast with him on the Right, endeavouring to go in the manner in which they us’d to be placed for drawing in Pairs.

I suppose I need not give any Caution about muzling the Oxen when they hoe; because they will eat the Plants as soon as they come an Inch above the Ground, and that will shew the Necessity of it; but there is no occasion to muzzle the Horses until the Plants are grown as high as their Noses, when rein’d up, as in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6. is an Instrument of Pulveration, which might have been sufficiently describ’d by its Matter, Weight and Dimensions, without any Portrait, were it not to shew the particular Manner of drawing it, being very different from that of a common Roller, whose Frame is difficult to make, and costly; but this, being only Three Feet long, is drawn by a simple Pair of Limbers, held together, by the Two Bars A and B, firmly pinn’d in at their Ends.

Its Gudgeons must not come out beyond the outer Surface of the Limbers, lest they should take hold of the Plants, when drawn in the Intervals; also the hinder Ends of the Limbers, behind the Gudgeon, should crook a little upwards, for the same Reason.

This Stone Cylinder is Two Feet and an half Diameter, and weighs Eleven hundred Weight besides the Limbers. It must never be us’d but in the driest Weather, when neither the Plough nor Harrow can break the Clods; and then being so very ponderous and short, it crushes them to Powder, or into such very small Pieces, that a very little Rain, or even the Dews (if plentiful), will dissolve them.

I have had great Benefit by this Roller in preparing my Ridges for Turneps. The Weather proving dry at Midsummer (which is the best Season for planting them), the Land was in Pieces like Horse-heads, so that there was no Hope of reducing them fit for planting with Turneps that Year; the Clods being so very large, that they would require so many Vicissitudes of wet and dry Weather to slack them; but this Instrument crush’d them small, and the Plough following it immediately, the Ridges were harrow’d and drill’d with very good Success.

I have also made use of it for the same Purpose in the Middle of a cloddy Field, where it pulveriz’d the Clods so effectually, that the Benefit of it might be plainly distinguish’d by the Colour and Strength of the Two following Crops, different from the other Parts of the Field adjoining on both Sides, whereon the Roller was not drawn.

But crushing has such a contrary Effect from squeezing, that if this Roller should be us’d when the Land is moist, it would be very pernicious, by unpulverizing it; of which I am so cautious, that sometimes I let the Roller lie still for a whole Year together.

There is also a long triangular Harrow, which is sometimes useful in the Intervals when the Earth is of a right Temper betwixt wet and dry; but there is no need to describe it, and I scarce use it once in Two or Three Years.

The Diameters of the wooden and iron Pins and Screws, with their Holes, and the Sizes of the Nails to be made use of in all the describ’d Instruments, I leave to the Discretion of the Workmen, who, if they are Masters of their several Trades, cannot be ignorant of such Matters.

Fig. 7. and Fig. 8. shew the Lands of Turneps mention’d at the Beginning of this Work.

APPENDIX

CONCERNING

The making of the DRILL, and the HOE-PLOUGH, &c.

To a Workman, who would make these Instruments, I would add the following Directions.

The First thing to be done for making the Drill, is to place half a Sheet of Paper to the Back of Plate 2. by pasting it on to its Margin; and likewise another half Sheet to Plate 3. in the same manner.

Then with a Needle prick through all the Out-lines of A, B, C, and D, in Fig. 2. which will mark out both Sides, and both Ends of the Mortise of the Turnep Drill-box. Also prick through the Out-lines of the great Hole in the middle of A, and of the elliptical Hole in B. Also prick the little Hole at E, in A; and at F, in B. Prick through the prick’d Line p q, in B; which is the Line to which the Setting-screw Fig. 6. or Fig. 12. that is to pass through the Hole in C, must be parallel.

When the Paper is taken off, cut out of it the said A, B, C, and D, by the Pricks made by the Needle.

Then cut the same in Pastboard, by laying these Pieces of Paper thereon (because Pastboard, being stiffer than Paper, will be more fit for the Use). Draw a Line with Ink on the pricked Line, p q.

Page.408

B. Cole. Delin. et Sculp.]