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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    on the PREFACE. 549 Every Year leave one Interval unho’d, to prove the Difference of that Side of a doable or treble Row next to it, from the other Side next to the ho’d Interval. But it mull be noted. That the Spade doth not always pulverize fo much as the Plow or Hoe-Plow; therefore there may be occafion for more Diggings than there would be of Horfe-Hoings. One of the Oblervations that put me upon Trials of wide Intervals, and I lorfe-Work for Corn, was the Following, viz. One Half of a poorilh Field, was fown with Barley ; the other Half drilled with Turneps, the Rows thirty Inches afunder, at the proper Seafon; and twice hoed with a Sort of Horfe-Hoe contrived for that Prupofe ('but nothing like that I have defcribedj the Drill beginning next to the Barley, left an Inter¬ val of the fame 30 Inch Breadth between the firtt Row of Turneps and the Barley, which being fown on large Furrows came up in a Sort of Rows, as is common for Barley to come when fown on fuch wide Furrows. This Interval between the Barley and the Turneps had thS fame Hoings as the Reft, and had this EfFeft on the broad Row of Barley next to it, viz. Each Plant had many Stalks, it was of a very deep flourilhing Co¬ lour, grew high, the Ears very long, and in all Refpefts the Barley was as good as if it had been produced by the richeft Land. The next Row of Barley had fome little Benefit on the Side next to the ftrong Row ; but all the reft of the Barley, either by the too late Sowing of it, the Poverty of the Soil (not being in any Manner dunged) or elfe by the Coldnefs of the Land, or Coldnefs of the Summer, or by all of thefe Caufes, though pretty free from Weeds, was exceeding poor, yellow, low, thin, and the Ears were very Ihort and fmalE „ / I intended to have taken the exaft Difference there was between the Produce of this outfide Row, and one of thofe that flood out of the Reach of the hoed Interval, but I was difappointed by my Neighbour’s Herd of Cows that in the Night broke in juft before Harveft, and eat off almoft all the Ears of the rich Row, doing ve¬ ry little Damage to the Reft, except by treading it. It mull be from the different Taftes, the One being fweet and the Other bitter, that they make their Eleftion to eat the One and refufe the Other. This accidental Obfervation was fufficient to demonftrate the Efficacy of deep Hoing, which I look upon as Synonymous to Horfe-Hoing. I immediately fet about contriving my limber’d Hoe, finding all other Sorts infufficient for the Exaclnefs required in this hoing Operation ; Thofe drawn in any other Manner, when they went too far from the Row, and the Holder went to lift the Plow nearer, it would fly back again, like the Sally of a Bell and go at no Certainty, not being fubjeft to the Guidance of the Holder, as the Limber-hoe-plow is. The Michael¬ mas following I began my prefent Horfe-hoing Scheme ; which has never yet deceived my Expeditions, when performed according to the Diredlions I have given my Readers. And the Pradtice of this Scheme proves the Advantage of Deep-Hoing, by the Ends of the Ridges and Intervals, for there, whilft the Drawing Cattle go on the Headland that is higher, the Furrows are fhallovver, and the Corn of the Rows is always there vifibly poorer in Proportion to that Shallownefs. Another Proof of the Difference there is between deep Hoing and Jhallow, is in the Garden, where a Square Perch of Cabbages, the Rows of which are three Foot aflimder, the middle Row of them having the Inter¬ vals on each Side of it deeply and well dug by the Spade at the fame proper Time, when the reft of the Intervals are hand-hoed; this middle Row will fhew the Difference of thofe two Operations ; but in this mull be obferved what I have here before mentioned, of turning the Back of the Spade to the Plants, to avoid the total removing them, efpecially in very dry Weather. This Experiment hath been tried and always fucceeds with every one that has made the Trials. But before any one makes his Trials of my Field-Scheme, I would advife him to be Mafter of the Trea- tife, by making an Index himfelf to it 5 This will both direft him in his Proceedings, and fhew him the Rafh- nefs of thofe, who go into the Practice of my Husbandry, without the neceflary Preparation; for they that dofo now, feem to aft as rafhly as they that went into it before the Treatife was pubiifhed. *Tis reafona- ble to prefume that fuch their Praftice mull be either different from or contrary to mine. This Index may be alfo ufeful for difcovering Pretenders by an Examination, without which Gentlemen are liable to be impofed on by them, as I am afraid too many have been : for amongft all thofe who have undertaken the Management of my Scheme for. Noblemen or others, I declare I do not know one Perfon that fufficiently underftands it: There may be fome who have feen or perhaps performed fome of the mechanical Part; but I don’t think it can be properly performed, without a thorough Knowledge of the Principles which cannot be expefted of fuch illiterate Perfons, and yet is neceflary for the proper Applications in different Cafes, which cannot be diftinguifhed by Pretenders ; therefore until the Scheme becomes common, the Manage¬ ment mull be under the Direftion of the Mafter himfelf, or of one who has paft his Examination, and is faithful. P. iv. L. 40. The particular Scheme, tsfr.] There is now the eleventh Crop of Wheat on the fame Field (except that in the ninth Year by Accident of having contrafted to let my Farm, it was drilled with White Oats) and I do not as yet fee any Reafon againft its being continued for Wheat annually as long as ’tis kept in this Culture. P. v. L. 8. A Jingle Crop.] Is one which is not to be repeated the following Year by another Crop of Wheat. P. v. L. 11. Two Shares, thirty Inches- ajfunder, £5V. J But if due Care be taken by the Driller to guide his Horfe as he ought, there will be noOccafion of any otherDrill for that Purpofe, than the treble one, taking out its foremoft Sheat, and fetting the two Beams at the fame Dillance from each other’s Middle, that the Partition is to have Breadth ; and fetting the Marking-Wheels to the Size of the Ridges. And this I have fully expe¬ rienced fince I wrote my EJJay. ■ P. v. L. 47. Other Vegetables Juch as, fcfr.] Such Seeds as are unfit for Drilling whilft in the Husk, mull be taken out of the Husk by the Mill or the Flail. P. v. L. 51. What Pretenders or Impojiors have taught or faid of this Husbandry, &c.] Both thefe have been very injurious to it. By Pretenders, I mean fuch who having feen fomewhat of the Drilling Scheme, without underftanding it, fet up for Matters, made great Numbers of my Engines (whether any were very good I know not) gave Directions for uling them, and took upon themfelves the whole Management, in Oppofition to me, who they knew was not able to appear againft them. To fome they pretended to be In¬ ventors, and to thofe who knew the Contrary, they pretended they afted by my Confent and Approbation. I could not but forefee the Mifchief likely to enfue from their Follies, when I heard of them. Sff |They