I am now making Trials, in order to know how much a single Row of White cone Wheat will exceed half a double one: For this Purpose, I cause one Row of the double, with the Partition, to be dug out with a Spade, in Part of every Field, Two or Three Yards in a Place: These I intend shall be hoed as the double Rows are; and where the Hoe-plough doth not reach, the Spade shall supply its Use.
I do not expect this single Row will equal the double Row; but I am in no doubt but that it will produce more Grain than half a double Row.
I cannot tell whether the Sort of Cone-wheat that sends out little Branches on each Side of the Ear, might not succeed tolerably well in single Rows; for its Ear is, when well nourished, larger than the Ear of the White-cone; tho’ not near so large as that of the Smyrna.
Another Experiment I propose to be made as a Trial for the Satisfaction of such sceptical Gentlemen who may doubt the Truth of what I have related in [p. 27, 28.] concerning the wonderful Effect of deep Hoeing. In a Field of very poor old decayed St. Foin, let Two or Three Perches be hedged in, in a square Piece, and Two, Three, or more Intervals, of Three or Four Feet wide each, be well pulverized by the Spade, leaving between every Two of them, Two or Three Feet of the St. Foin unmoved. Begin this Work in Summer, and repeat the Hoeing pretty often, observing the Rules I have laid down for Hoeing the Intervals of Wheat. Let not the Back of the Spade be turned towards the unmoved St. Foin, from which it throws the Earth at the First time of Hoeing; which is contrary to the First Hoeing of Wheat with a Spade; because there would otherwise be Danger of moving Wheat-roots; but there is no Danger of moving the St. Foin Roots, unless you wholly dig them out: Therefore the best Way for this Hoeing is to dig with the Back of the Spade towards one or the other End of the Interval: This cuts off the fewest Roots, and covers the most of them, and may perhaps be sometimes best for Wheat also. When the Earth is turned towards the St. Foin Rows, the Spade’s Face will be towards them of course.
Be sure to leave Four or more Feet untouched next to the Hedge that bounds the Piece, to the End that the Increase of the hoed St. Foin may the more plainly appear by comparing its Plants with those that are not hoed.
If the Plants are very thick, make them thinner on one side of an Interval; and, on the other side, let them remain thick. You will certainly find the thin Plants most wonderfully increased in a Year or two, and the thick ones in proportion; and also the natural Grass, and all other Vegetables that grow near to the Intervals when they are well pulverized. I am confident mine, thus managed by Ploughs, increased some to an Hundred, some to a Thousand times the Size they were of before that Pulveration.
All the Methods I have here and elsewhere described for the Field, I advise to be tried in these few Perches for Experiments.
I think some of those Ridges whereon one End is to be managed differently from the other End, should be longer than Six Feet; else the Roots of the Wheat and Weeds may so mix, and draw Nourishment from one another in the Middle of the Ridge, that the Difference of the Managements may not so plainly be seen as when the Ridge is longer.
The few Perches of Land whereon any of the proposed Experiments are to be made, should be bounded in with dead Hedges; and should not be situate within Three or Four Poles of a live Hedge or Tree.
The Three Instruments to be used in these unexpensive Trials, are, the Spade, to supply the Use of the Plough and Hoe plough; the Hand-hoe; and a Rake, instead of Harrows.