The horse-hoing husbandry: or, an essay on the principles of tillage and vegetation ... Wherein is shewn a method of introducing a sort of vineyard-culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product, and diminish the common expence; by the use of instruments described in cuts / By I.T. [J. Tull].

  • Jethro Tull
Date:
1733
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The horse-hoing husbandry: or, an essay on the principles of tillage and vegetation ... Wherein is shewn a method of introducing a sort of vineyard-culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product, and diminish the common expence; by the use of instruments described in cuts / By I.T. [J. Tull]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ,117 And the Expence of this Hand-work on the Rows would be well anfwefed, though there fhould not be one Weed in them; and fo would it be, if a fecond Hand-hoing were bellowed on the Partitions of e- very Crop of Wheat notfufpefted of being too Luxuriant. If after the lait Horfe-hoing there fhould be occafion for another Hoing of the Intervals, where the Nar- rownefs of them,and the Leaning of tall Wheat make it difficult or dangerous to be performed by the Hoe-Plow, a flight {hallow Hoing may be performed therein by the Hand-Hoe with Eafe and Safety, at a very fmall Expence, which will be more than doubly repaid in the following Crops. ' ] P. 65. L. 24. Being fituate upon a Hill, that confifls, &Y.] In Contradidlion to this Defcrlption, Equivo- tus in p. 31. of his Eflfay for July, deferibes it as follows, viz.. “ We know the Author’s Farm called Pro• “ jperous, is a rich Soil, and lies on a Flat, which retains Mojftute more than Up-Land declining ©found (e- fpecially Sandy or Gravelly) will. ” _ ^a , Which of thefe two oppoflte repugnant Defcriptions is true cannot be Difficult to determine. As to its lying on a Flat contrary to a Hill, ’tis both known and feen to be one 6f the higheil Farms in all that part of the County of Berks where it lies; it may be feen at tenor twelve Miles Diitancey and was a more remarkable Eminence before the Trees were blown down by that memorable Storm in the Year 1703. The Bulk of the Land belonging to this Farm, is on the South-Side for near a Mile in length, always cal¬ led Bitham-Hills, and are for the moll Part declining Grounds, a Sort of graciles Clivi, being all on a Chalk : In dry Weather the whole Staple looks of a white Colour, ’tis full of fmall Flints, and fmailer Chalk-StOnes; below thefe Hills is a Bottom, where are fome Grounds upon a Chalk alfo, but had not then been ufed in Hoing, having lain wih St. Fain 13 or 14 Years. • On the Weft Side all the Land is called Eaft-Hill's, bbiiig on the Eaft of the Farms to which they all formerly belonged. On the North-Weft Side is a high Field, called Cook's-Hill, and is the only Field of my Farm that is not upon a Chalk, it was a very wet fpewy S9U of very little Value, until I made it dry by Plowing erofs the Defcent of the Hill. Every Body knows that Chalk is not apt to retain Moijlure; and as to the Ricbnefs of the Soil of my Farm, if Equivocus could make that out to be true, I could eaffly forgive all the other Falfities of his Defcription, though it is fcarce pbffible Shat any thing can be more falfe. • • .•> • l -Lit This Soil is all too light and too lhallow to produce a tolerable Crop of Beans. This Farm was made out of the Skirts of others, great Part of the Land was formerly a Sheep-Down; and whilft the whole was kept in the Virgilian Management (ufual for fuch Land) it had the full Reputation of Poverty: The higheft Part of it ufed to be fown (as I have been well informed) with Oats once iii tw6 or three Years upon the Back, and if the Summer proved dry, the Crop was not worth the Expencb of th$t Once-Plowing : The Generality of Farmers were then of Opinion, that if this ffiould be thoroughly tilled, and pulverized, it would become fo light, that the Wind would blow the Staple away ; but: the control happened, for it being plowed five Times inftead of once, it produced good Barley and other Corn, and ne¬ ver has returned to its former Degree of Lightnefs fince, and this was above fifty Years,ago. And now Tr¬ iage and foreign Graffes are come into Fafliion, enclofed Lands which do not Rot Sheep, as tiqt one Foot of mine is wet enough, or rich enough to do) are become of greater Value than formerly. And bolides they allow that my Farm is one Third better for a Tenant, than when I took it into Hand, and yet I lhould be glad to Let it for half the Rent that rich Land is Let for. Should Eqai<vocus tell a Perfon who never was at London, That the Monument {lands in Smithfield, or; that: London Bridge is upon Holborn-Hill, it would not be more notorioufly falfe, than his Defcription of yxiy farm is. * ' '• And that no Part of the true Defcription of that odious Crime (the plain Term for which ought not to be given by or to an Engli/hman, except to one as vile as Equivocus) might be wanting; he for the collefitivi Body of his Society, pronounces in the plural Number, We know, &c. So that ’tis not ignorantly, buf wilfully committed, by endeavouring to impofe upon the World for a Truth, what they know to be falfe, with Intent to deceive. He feems to have writ his falfe Defcription of my Farm for no other End, than to accufe me of that very Crime of which he himfelf is, in this Relation of his, indifputably Guilty ; for if the Nature and Situation of my Land had been as he fays, it would have made nothing for his Purpofe in any o\hep Refpedl. ... That Society by publishing this and many other notorious Falfities, feems fond of being publickly knqwn to be infamous Authors of no Veracity, and not to be credited by any Body who is not Willing to be deceiv¬ ed ; but Pity it is their particular Members lhould lofc their merited Renown, for want of a proper Lilt of Names and Additions. t ; 1 .isf P.66. L. 30. cIhe Greafewili not fuffer, £tfr.] Urine alfo makes the Wheat fo greafy, that it will not be dry Time enough to be drilled. P. 66. L. 43. Ufe Quick-Lime, &fc.] But if this doth not afford Powder enough, die Pieces muiV be flacked immediately before ufing; for if the Lime lye long after it is flacked (efpeciaily that made of CFiilk) it will become weak and lafe molt of its drying Quality. 1 . 5 Some Farmers ufe only to boil the ftrongeft Quick Lime in Water, with which inftead of Brine they fprinkle their Wheat, affirming it to be as effeftual as that for preventing the Smut; but this not being within th« Compafs of my own Experience, I am doubtful of it} yet I wilh it may be found effectual, becaufe it would fave Trouble to the Sower, and more to the Driller. ' 1 P. 69. L.17. What Credit can be given to thefe Ancients who join, &cl] ’Tis I fuppofe, on Account of this P«t ragraph, that Equivocus exclaims againft me for having wronged the Ancients -y perhaps lie may give Credit to that pretended Invention of Far chon's } and alfo to the following famous Remedy preferibed in Verfe and Projector the Relief and Cure of Plants, which is the fame that is in Proft affirmed will destroy them. Columella, Lib. X. p. 354. Atfl nulla valet medicina repellere pefietn, Dardania veniant artes, nudataque plantas Tamina, qua juft is turn demum operata juvtntKt Leg thus, obfcano manat pudibunda cruore, Std re flint a flnns, refllntt tnaftti capii/t, -1 •)'{ ol AO *c i) 7<r