[221]Remember, in making Ridges of all Sorts, and of whatsoever Figure the Piece is, that no Ridge ought to have any more Furrows at one End, than at the other End; for if there be, the Plough must be turned in the Middle of the Piece, which will cause the Land to be trodden by the Horses; but if each End have an equal Number of Furrows, the Horses in turning will tread only upon the Head lands, which may be plowed afterwards; or if design’d to be Horse-ho’d, the Head-lands should be narrow, and not plowed at all.
The Benefit of laying up strong deep Land into Ridges is very great; tho’ there be no Springs in it, as are in the Hills aforementioned.
This Land, when it lies flat, and is plowed sometimes one Way, sometimes the other, by cross-plowing, retains the Rain-water a long time soaking into it; by that Misfortune, the Plough is kept out Two or Three Weeks longer than if the same were in round Ridges; nay, sometimes its Flatness keeps it from drying till the Season of plowing, and even of sowing too, be lost.
The Reasons commonly given against such Ridges are these following.
I. They prevent the fansied Benefit of cross-plowing.
II. Farmers think they lose Part of their Ground, by leaving more Furrows betwixt Ridges, than when they lay their Land flat, where the Lands are made much larger than round Ridges can conveniently be; and because also the Furrows betwixt Ridges must be broader, and lie open; but the other they fill up by the Harrows.
The first of these I have already answered elsewhere, by shewing, that Cross-plowing is oftener injurious than beneficial.
The Second I shall sufficiently confute, if I can make appear, that no Ground is lost, but much may be gained, by Ridges.
What I mean by gaining of Ground, is the increasing of the Earth’s Surface: For if a flat Piece be plow’d up into Ridges, and if in each Sixteen Feet Breadth there be an empty Furrow of Two Feet; and yet, by the Height and Roundness of the Ridges, they have Eighteen Feet of Surface capable of producing Corn, equally to Eighteen Feet whilst the Piece was flat; there will be one Eighth Part of profitable Ground or Surface gain’d, more than it had when level; and this, I believe, Experience will prove, if the thing were well examined into.
But against this Increase of profitable Ground, there is an Objection, which I must not call a frivolous one, in respect to the Authors who bring it; yet, I hope, the Desire of finding the Truth will justify me to examine it; and the Arguments brought to sustain it.