Etice

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Lazy-beds are entirely diſuſed(being properly ſo called) and only practiſed

by the moſt indolent.

Drilling with the common plough in trenches of three feet and four fur- rows, is already ſufficiently deſeribed in the Lancalhire Report.

In lands which are tolerably clean, drills of two feet in breadth are found to be ſufficient; as experienced laſt year by Mr. Henry Harper, and with the advantage ot his new invented drill-plough. The land ſbould be pre- vioufly, winter and ſpring, fallowed by laying the land in one-bout ridges (as the drill-ploughs two furrows at once); then in the ſpring preparing the ground by dividing thoſe drills, harrowing,&c. till prepared ready for planting at the proper ſeaſon, according to the different kinds.

When a drill is madetby this plough, by throwing the earth(i) each way, the dung then is laid at the bottom of this drill; upon which the po- tatoe is afterwards laid. Then the plough is ſet to work again, and turns the two earths thrown out back again; covering one half of two drills every time it goes along the land. Mr. Harper thinks the diſtance of ſeven inches in the rows better than ten, becaufe this diſtance with two foot- drills, will cauſe a greater quantity of potatoes to be raiſed from the ſame ground, and the dung more equally diſtributed. The potatoes are hoed by the drill-plouglt with a ſhare(&)(No. II.) which has wings, and carries away moſt of the weeds: if any remain, a hand-hoe may be neceſſary.

In hoeing and cleaning the potatoes(⁰), if very foul, a common light plough may be uſed to rurn a narrow furrow from the potatoe-drill; which muſt be ſucceeded by the drill-plough; and which, by the affiſtance of the two reeſis or wriſts(m), the ſoil may be thrown up to the very top of the drills and ſtems of the plant: if not io full of weeds, the drill-plough alone will be ſufficient, with the reeſts taken off: the fhare may be made narrower or wider as néeceſſity requires; and the weeds will fall to the bottom of the drill and there periſh, if the winged ſhare only be uſed.

The method of cutting the potatoe into ſets has already been ſufficiently

(i) There ſeems a great want of appropriate and preciſe termms: it would be a good thing if a new vocabulary was adopted(and who ſo pProper as your Secretary?). In Lancafhire the place from whence the earth is removed and the earth itſelf, are both diſtinguiſhed by the name of Furrow.

(4) Again we are at a loſs for a proper word. The Engliſh Cyclopedia calls it Rare; Dic- tionary of Arts and Sciences, et; Scotch Cyclopedia, Sock; Lancafhire, ſuck.— Sock ſcems an appropriate term enough.

() Potatoes to produce a crop, muſt be carefully weeded either by the plough or hand-hoe: if the weeds are permitted to flouriſh, no crop, under whatever management, can ſucceed.

(m) Reeſt or uriſt. Another puzzling word, not to be found in any book-I have at hand. The addition of this part to the ploughi may be Peculiar to Lancaſhire; of courſe the word. Its pronunciation is Reeſt.*