OF SCOTLAND.

355

along that boundary, if the boundary itself be not straightHaving measured off the breadth of one head-land or head-ridge, and set up three poles at least, in a straight line in ac-cordance with the measurement, he draws a' furrow in thelines of the poles, from one side of the field to the other, andreturning in the same furrow, corrects, if necessary, anyinaccuracy in the furrow, picking up the poles, and layingthem on his plough as he comes along. Having laid off thelimits of the other head-ridges, in the same manner he pro-ceeds to feir the field. Assuming one straight side of thefield as the proper direction of the ridges, he measures o£F onelength of a pole from that side, at the top or bottom of thefield, and there, at right angles to the straight side of thefield, sets up one of his poles as the place where his plough isto enter. At a proper distance in advance, to be distinctlyseen, he sets up a second pole in the same manner, and athird similarly at the far end, by which all his three poles areplaced in one straight line. More than three are used, ifnecessary, either from the great length of the field, or owingto intervening heights, as there must always be three in'view at once. He then enters his plough at the firstpole, keeping the line of poles precisely between his horses,and proceeds to draw a furrow-slice. When the first pole isploughed down, he halts his horses, and measures off' twolengths of that pole for the middle of the second ridge. Re-turning to his horses, lie goes on with his furrow-slice till hehas ploughed down the second pole, when he again halts the

* If the boundaries of a field be very Irregular, and the breaks in the bound-Jn g line sudden, it will be morally impossible to have either side-ridges or head-r ‘dges of an exactly equal breadth in all places. If circumstances would admitit, as much of the land lying along these crooked boundaries should be planted,as would allow the lines of the head-lands and side-lands to run straight; forWore time and labour may be lost in ploughing corners, and irregular ground ofHus description, than the produce will pay for.

VOL. x.

Z