OF SCOTLAND.

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hand of the sower, in distributing the seed regularly to thesoil, and to direct the reapers in cutting down the crop. Insoils of a strong or retentive nature, or which have wet or re-tentive subsoils, these furrows serve likewise as surface drains,for carrying off superfluous water, and are then named ’water-furrows. The ridges are various in their breadths, and arevariously formed by different modes of ploughing, accordingto circumstances.

In Berwickshire, the ordinary breadth of ridges, more es-pecially on all lands that require the assistance of water-fur-rows, is fifteen feet; while the farmers in East Lothian prefereighteen feet ridges. On weak thin clays, having a retentivebottom, ridges of nine feet are preferred by some farmers, asbetter adapted for getting rid of superfluous moisture ; whileothers maintain, that a judiciously formed eighteen feet ridgewill drain off the water more effectually than the narrowstitches of four feet, or four feet and a half, so customary inmany parts of England.

On dry turnip soils, with a free bottom, it is usual to ploughthe land into ridges of double the before-mentioned breadths,either thirty or thirty-six feet, called band-win ridges, be-cause reaped by a band of shearers served by one binder, aswill be more particularly described in the twelfth section ofthis part. In finishing off this kind of soil, more especiallybefore laying it down to grass, it is customary to cast up anarrow ridgelet, or single bout drill, between the broad ridges,which directs the eye and hand of the sower; and, when thefield is harrowed to cover in the seed, all the ridgelets areobliterated, or nearly so, leaving no bare unproductive por-tions, and giving a more beautiful lawn-like appearance tothe field, when afterwards under pasture. Where, however,this lawn-like entire obliteration of all ridges is wished for,the field may be ploughed entirely in one ridge or breadth,going constantly round the field, and slight traces may bedrawn at proper intervals, to direct the sower, by the heel of