Part 72

The Funnels a a, which receive the Seed from the Hopper, and convey it down into the Trunks c c, appear under the Hopper, as doth also Part of the Hole d, whereon the Funnel stood when the fore Hopper was single. D shews the Cylinder upon the grafted Spindle at one End, as F shews where the other End with its Cylinder and Wheel is taken off. The Ends of the Piece A, which guide the Harrow, appear behind the Plank at f f. At g in the Harrow-head is a Hole exactly in the Middle between the Tines, for tying on a Stone when the Harrow is too light for the Soil. Note, This Hole must follow exactly after the Middle of the Plank, i. e. between the Two Shares at an equal Distance from each.

Observe, that the Legs of this Harrow go thro’ the Head on the Outsides of the Tines, as in the treble Drill they go thro’ on the Inside of the Tines. Instead of the wooden Tines, may be put in common Iron Tines of a proper Length.

The Two Hooks whereby the Plough is drawn are at h h. ’Tis best for the Ends of the Hooks to turn upwards, so that the Links of the Chain-traces, that are to be put on them, may not be apt to drop off. Take care that these Traces be of an equal Length, which may be easily made even by the Links that are put on these Hooks.

Note, The Links of the Piece of Chain, whereby the Plough is made to go deeper or shallower, may be very small, and by no means in the Proportion they bear to the Limbers in the Cut. There need not be above Four or Five Links. If there be occasion to raise or sink the Limbers more than that Number will reach, the Cord may be tied longer or shorter on the other Limber. And when there is not the Convenience of Chain-traces, they may be supplied by a few Iron Links at the Ends of Hempen Traces.

Fig. 10. is the Shape of a wooden Wreath, which (when the Shares stand wider asunder, or when there are more than Two of them, so that they come nearer to the Ends of the Plank, this Wreath) is necessary to be put on the Spindle, the End a bearing against the Inside of the double Standards, and the End b being towards the Hopper. ’Tis fixt to the Spindle by the Screw c, which should not enter the Spindle above half an Inch deep. There may be another like Screw to enter in the same manner on the opposite Side of this Wreath. There must be in this case another Wreath the same of this to bear against the other double Standards. And when these Wreaths are used, the Hopper must have only the upper Carrier C; the lower one must be taken off. But in this our Drill for planting Wheat, no Wreaths must be on the Spindle, except those at b b, which are to hold the Hopper from moving endways. And these may be of the Sort above described, the End a bearing against the Hopper.

Fig. 11. is the Beam of the Hoe-plough described in Plate VI. Fig. 2. with no other Alteration than leaving out the Hole H, and the pricked Line between it and the Hole I; and changing the Hole G into a Mortise. The pricked Line a b represents the hinder Edge of the Plank, behind which appears a very small Part of a Mortise. See p. 415, 416.

Fig. 12. is the Plank, which is Fig. 3. in Plate VI. The Improvement of it in this Figure is described in p. 415, 416.

An Appendix to Chap. IX. of Wheat, p. 138. containing Memoranda for the Practisers of this Husbandry.

At the Second Hoeing the Plough goes in the Furrow of the First, making it deeper, and nearer to the Wheat. The Third Hoeing fills up this Furrow; and then, at the Fourth Hoeing, the Plough goes in the same Place as the Second, turning the Mould into the Interval. ’Tis remarkable that though the Furrows of the Second and Fourth Hoeings be deep, and near to the Rows, seeming to deprive the Wheat of the Mould which should nourish it, whereby one would imagine, that these Furrows lying long open should weaken or starve it; yet it is just the contrary; for it grows the more vigorous: And it is the Observation of my Ploughmen, that they cannot at these Hoeings go too near to the Rows, unless the Plough should tear out the Plants.

P. 422

_Invented & Designed by & Printed for JETHRO TULL ESQ Oct: the 25^{th} 1738]

If I may presume to assign the Cause of this surprising Effect, it is, in my Opinion, the following; viz. This open Furrow has a double Surface of Earth, which by the Nitre of the contiguous Atmosphere, is pulverized to a great Degree of Minuteness near the Row. The Roots that the Plough cuts off on the perpendicular Side of the Furrow, send out new Fibres to receive the Pabulum from this new-made Pasture; and also Part of this superfine Powder is continually falling down into the Bottom of the Furrow, and there gives a very quick Growth to those Roots that are next it, and a quick Passage through it into the Earth of the Interval, where they take likewise the Benefit of the other Side of this pulverized Furrow. When it is said, that Air kills Roots, it must not be understood, that it kills a Plant, unless all, or almost all, its Root is exposed to it, as it is not in this Case. Some think there are Roots that run horizontally below the Plough into the Interval; but of this I am not convinced.

’Tis not often that we hoe above Four times; and then the Furrow is turned towards the Row at the Third time only.

There being no Danger from these Furrows lying long open, we are not confined to any precise Distance between the times of Hoeing, for which we need only regard the Weather, the Weeds, and our own Convenience of Opportunity and Leisure.

’Tis an Advantage when these Furrows lie open on each Side of the double Row till Harvest; for then there need only Two Furrows to be plowed on a Ridge to throw down the Partition in order for planting the next Crop; but if at the last Hoeing the Furrows are turned towards the Row, they must be plowed back again after Harvest before the Partition can be plowed: This requires double the time of the other; and the sooner the Partitions are plowed, the more time they will have to be pulverized before they are replanted. Indeed this Advantage is only when the Rows are to be planted where they were the Year before; for this is rather a Disadvantage when they are to be planted in the Intervals. Whether these Furrows lying long open next the Rows in very hot dry Climates may be prejudicial, cannot be known, but by Trials.

As from the external Superficies of an Acre of Pasture on a rich Soil, Animals take more Pabulum than of an Acre on a poor Soil; so Vegetables take more Pabulum from the internal Superficies of a rich Acre than of a poor one; the Pulveration, or Superficies of Parts, being equal. See p. 44, 45. From whence there is no Encouragement for making Trials on very poor Land.

’Tis no great Matter whether the Rows are drilled on the Partitions, or the Intervals; for the Crops of a Field, Four Years successively drilled on the Partitions, were very good. After the Partitions had been plowed, and lain open till the Weather made them pulverizable by the Harrows, and then turned together by Furrows larger than those which opened them, much Earth of the Intervals was mixed with them. This is the strongest and lowest Ground I have; and if there should be much wet Weather after Harvest, it is so long in drying, that we take the first Opportunity the Weather allows for planting the Wheat, which is generally done in the above manner, because it is the shortest; but, without some such Reason to the contrary, I prefer planting the Rows on the precedent Intervals.

My Field, whereon is now the Thirteenth Crop of Wheat, has shewn that the Rows may successfully stand upon any Part of the Ground. The Ridges of this Field were for the Twelfth Crop, changed from Six Feet to Four Feet Six Inches: In order for this Alteration, the Ridges were plowed down, and the whole Field was plowed cross-ways of the Ridges for making them level; and then the next Ridges were laid out the same way as the former, but One Foot Four Inches narrower; and the double Rows drilled on their Tops, whereby of consequence there must be some Rows standing on every Part of the Ground, both on the former Partitions, and on every Part of the Intervals: Notwithstanding this, there was no manner of Difference in the Goodness of the Rows, and the whole Field was in every Part of it equal, and the best, I believe, that ever grew on it. It has now the Thirteenth Crop, likely to be very good, tho’ the Land was not plowed cross-ways.

The proper Times for Plowings and Hoeings depending upon the Weather, and other Circumstances, cannot be directed but by the Reason and Experience of the Practiser, as has been said.

The Number of Ridges being increased, as their Breadth is now diminished, occasions somewhat the more Plough-work, we likewise use more Handwork than formerly; but the Profit of this increased Labour is more than double to the Expence of it.

The Decline of the Woolen Manufacture furnishes us at this time with Plenty of Hand-hoers and Weeders; because they can earn much more by working in the Field than by Spinning at home.

’Tis better to make Fifteen Ridges on an Acre, than to leave any Earth unmoved by the Hoe-plough in the Middle of the Intervals; but when Ploughmen, by Practice, understand well to use the Hoe-plough, they will plow the Intervals clean, tho’ the Ridges are only Fourteen on an Acre.

Bearded Wheat is in this Country called Cone, and that which has no Beard Lammas. I observed formerly the Bread of White-cone had a little yellowish Cast, which I now suspect was from the Mill-stones; for I have seen it be very white these many Years, since the Millers know better how to grind this Wheat. Cone wheat Westwards yields Six-pence a Bushel more than Lammas; but towards London the contrary.

The Reasons why a whole Field of Wheat doth not produce a Crop equal in proportion to a Yard or Perch cut, rubbed out, and weighed immediately upon the Spot, may be, because the Grain of the Field lying to sweat in the Mow, loses considerably of its Weight and Measure. There is also some lost in the Field by Reapers, and by Leasers; and some is by Threshers thrown out of the Barn; and some of them are found to have Contrivances to carry home with them at Night, Part of the Wheat they thresh in the Day. I say nothing of those Thieves, who in Harvest rob the Field in the Dark; tho’ they are not very uncommon.

I missed of making my proposed Experiment of the single Row, after I had prepared for it by plowing out one of the double in several Places for that Purpose; but, in the Hurry of Harvest, they were cut together with the rest, without making any Trial; as should have been made, if my Illness had not prevented my Attendance in the Field at the time of Reaping.

The Practice and Instruments that are left off for better in their room, as the Quadruple and Treble Rows, &c. are still useful to be shewn, in order to deter others from going into an inferior Method that is now exploded; for some might think it an Improvement of the double Rows, &c. by their own Invention, if they should not know it had been already tried.

INDEX.

Artificial Pasture of Plants exceeds the Natural, p. 27, &c. Atmosphere, by Rain and Dews, reimburses the pulverized Earth, 70, 127