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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    P. 79. L. 18. ’Three Tun of St. Foin to an Acre, fek.] This was on rich deep Land in Oxford/hire • and the other St. Foin which was fo poor, was on thin Selate Land near Caujham in Wiltftoire in the Bath-Road. It is now about thirty Years fince P. 80. L. 14. Never to expett a full Crop of St. Foin the firft Tear, Ufe.] But when it has been planted on rich fandy Land and proper, it has produced very great Crops the firft Year ; but then the Summer wherein it grew amongft the Barley muft not be reckoned as the firft Year. P. 81. L. ult. I never ufe any Manure on my St. Foin.] ’Twas becaufe mine generally had no Occafion for Manure before it was old ■, and Soot is feldom to be had of fufficient Quantity in the Country, and little Coal is burnt hereabouts, except by the Smiths whofe AJhes are not good. The Price and Carriage of Peat~ AJh will be ten Shillings for an Acre, which would yet be well bellowed in a Place where Hay is vendible; but by reafon of the great Quantity of water’d Meadows and Plenty of St. Foin, Clover and Hay raifed of late Years by Farmers for their'ovvn Ufe, here are now few or no Buyers of Hay, efpecially thele open Winters : So that laying out Money in that Manner would be in Effedl to buy what I cannot fell. I think it better to let a little more Land lie ftill in St. Foin, than to be at the Expence of Manure; but yet lhall not negledt to ufe it, when I lhall find it likely to be profitable to me. P. 83. L. 40. The Sun never Jhone upon it.] This alfo was an Advantage to this Hay 5 for Apothe¬ caries find that Herbs dried in the Shade retain much more of their Virtue than thofe dried in the Sun ; but Farmers not having any fuch Conveniency of Drying their Hay in the Shade with Safety, mull always chufe to dry it by the Sun ; becaufe in cloudy Weather there is Danger of Rain; and therefore fuch excellent Hay muft be had by Chance ; for to be well made in the Shade, it muft be in Danger of being ipoiled or damaged by Rain. P. 85. L. 43. In fmall round Rich.] But not to be afterwards made into large ones at Equivocus di- refts. P. 87. L. 31. To Cure the Seed: If that be neglected, it will be of little or no Value.] But there is yet another Care to be taken of St. Foin Seed befides the curing it ; and that is, to keep it from Rats and Mice after ’tis cured, elfe if their Number be large, they will in a Winter eat up all the Seed of a confider- able Quantity, leaving only empty Husks, which to the Eye appear the fame as when the Seeds are in ’em. A Man cannot without Difficulty take a Seed out of its Husk ; but the Vermin are fo dexterous at it, that they will eat the Seed almoft as fall out of the Husks, as if they were pulled out for them. I faw a Rat killed, as he was running from a Heap of it, that had feven peeled Seeds in his Mouth not fwallow’d, which is a Sign that he was not long in taking them out. They take them out fo cleverly, that the Hole in the Husk Ihuts itfelf up when the Seed is out of it. But if you feel the Husk between your Finger and Thumb you will find it empty. Alfo a Sackful of them is very light, yet there have been fome fo ignorant and in¬ curious as to fow fuch empty Husks for feveral Years fucceffively, and none coming up, they concluded their Land to be improper for St. Foin. P. 87. L. 50. But only juft feparate the Swarths in the Dew, Ufe.] This being done in the Dew pre¬ vents the Damage of Rubbing out the Seed, which would be unavoidable, if the Swarths Ihould be feparated when dry. P.90. L. 19. Clover oftenfpoils a Crop of Barley ] But this Damage may be prevented by Drilling the Clover after the Barley is a handful high or more ; for then the Barley will keep it under, and not fuffer it to grow to any confiderable Bignefs till after Harveft, nor will this Drill, being drawn by Hand, do any Damage to the Barley. P 92. L. 17. Why Englift: Arable is of fo much lefs Value than Foreign ? ’Tis doubtlefs from the extraor¬ dinary Price of Englilh Labour above that of other Countries, occafioned by English Statutes being in this Refpedt different from all other Laws in the World. P. 93. L. 8. To prevent their Swelling, Ufe.] The Swelling of Cattle by eating too much green Luferne, Clover or Turnep-Leaves, happens only to fuch as chew the Cud, becaufe thefe fwallow more in lefs Time than other Cattle do ; and a large Quantity of fuch lufeious Greens being fwallow’d by a Beaft, ferment¬ ing to a great Degree, heats and rarifies the internal Air, which by its Spring becoming too ftrong for that Column of the Atmofphere that enters at the Trachea, it preffes the Lungs againft the Thorax fo clofely, that the Weight of the External Column is not of Force to open their Vefcicles, and then the Circulation of the Blood is ftopt, and the Beaft is ftrangled. Mod Farmers know how to prevent the Swelling, fo that now a-days it feldom happens; but when it does, there is an effectual Way of curing it, if taken in Time; They cut a Hole into the Maw near the Back in a proper Manner, whereat the rarified Air ruffies out, and the Lungs again perform their Atlion of Refpi- ration. But that any Sort of good dry Hay, whether made of Luferne or any other Grafs, would caufe this Mif- fortune of Swelling, I never heard was faid by any Body except Equivocus, and he appearing to be a Perfon ot no Veracity, I have no Reafon to believe it from his Affertion. P.97. L. 19. When Luferne has been plowed] This Plowing is a Hoing to the Luferne. P. too. L. 5. Begin with Rows that have Intervals of thirty Inches.] Hence, I fuppofe it is, that Equi- vocus pretends to queftion whether my Drill-plows will plant the Rows of Luferne any nearer together than thirty Inches; but in Truth ’tis as eafy to plant them at three Inches and a half afunder by a double Drill-plow that may be made to plant thirteen Rows or more at once ; but I think fuch a Diftance much too little for any Sort of Seed, except Flax-Seed. P. 101. L. 47. Left the plowed Earth injure the Hay that is made upon */.] But you may leave every third or fourth Interval uiihoed for making the Hay on, which will yet be more beneficial, if the Swarths in Mowing fhould fall thereon. This unhoed Interval may be plowed when there is Occafion, and another left in its Stead. • ' «, P. 102. L. 47. Let the Soil be ever fo proper.] I have not one Field that is either warm enough or rich enough for me to expeft Succefs in planting Luferne on it. P. 104. L. 27. There can be no Ufe of Changing of Sorts, in refpeSl of different Nourijbment.] Qu&re Whether Equivocus allowing, that the fame Nourifhment is common to all Plants, and proper to none; and yet affirming the Neceffity of changing the Species of Plants on Accftunt of the Quality of the Nourifhment, doth not in effett grant the Premifos, and deny the Conchfton? P. 106,