Broad NN common in England, but not much used in Scotland, though it is evident that then general introduction would be attended with many ad vantages. It is easy, however, to account for their being hitherto neglected, though, perhaps, the very cir cumstances which produced that neglect will, in some measure, occasion its continuance.—Roads in England were repaired at an earlier period than in Scotland ; and unless a public road is previously put in good order, it is impracticable, or at least attended tt ith much incon venience, to pass over it with broad wheels, so long as the majority of carriages which travel that way are mounted upon narrow wheels. The latter make a rut or track into which the former cannot go, and hence they are impeded at every step, and made to go un steady. Were all wheels of the broad kind, and were they all shod in a suitable manner, (for in some cases we have seen wheels apparently with broad felloes, shod in such a way as to do equal injury to the road, as those which in reality were constructed narrow ones,) the public would he eminently benefited. The expense of supporting the roads of the kingdom, from an in crease of trade, and an increase of improvement, has of late been augmented prodigiously. Perhaps the ex pense is not short of three millions per annum ; and there seems to be no method of lessening it, but by resorting to a general use, either of broad wheels or one-horse carts, which undoubtedly would cause a con siderable reduction in the expense. The legislature, sensible of the benefit derived from broad wheels, has given a premium upon their use, by lessening the rate of tolls 50 jiff cent. in their favour. This is an apparent advantage to he sure, though in reality no important benefit can be gained, either by the public or indi tiduals, so long as narrow wheels are in general use. It would seem that nothing short of a compulsory act can bring broad wheels into universal practice, because the individual who wishes to use them is deterred by the unavoidable loss which he must sustain, when the great majority of wheels are of a different construction. It is impracticable to make good work in one rigg, with two ploughs, one of which is narrow set and the other wide set in the mould-board ; and it is equally imprac ticable to travel a public road with broad wheels, if narrow wheels are permitted, especially if the majority of wheels arc of that description. The introduction of broad wheels can therefore only be accomplished, by taking it up as a general measure. Were caprice, or obstinacy, suffered to act, individuals would be found influenced by these principles, and of sufficient number to prevent the improvement front being accomplished. We therefore repeat, that a compulsory measure seems to be the only effectual way of introducing this manifest improvement ; and were an exception made in favour of one-horse carts, the improvement would not be much less.
Before concluding this Section, we may state, that if a fair comparison is made between the wagon loads of England, and the cart loads of Scotland, it will be found, that the cart, in point of economy, is the preferable carriage. It is well known, that the main objection to two horse ploughs in England, is the dislike shown the wagoners to hat e their teams broken or separated. We remember well of a gentleman in Herttbrdshire in fo•ming us, that his carter would not take more hay to the London market with five horses than a load, (90 stone Scottish weight,) and cannot forget the surprise he expressed at being informed, that the writer of this article had actually driven one-fourth more to market with a single horse. The foregoing objection would cer
tainly be instantly removed, were double carts com monly used, and every ploughman employed to keep and work his own pair of horses. Under a system of this kind, a saying to the public would be gained, the extent of which cannot be calculated.
On Drilling Machines.
The most perfect husbandry is practised where gar den culture can be imitated ; and the greatest attention is paid to the management of the field, when the seed process is regularly executed. These principles, ab stractly considered, may be regarded as intimately con nected with the practice of rural economy, though they are not to be received as applicable in every case respecting the seed of plants, or the mode in which it is to be deposited in the field. Regularity ought to be studied at all times, but regularity may be sufficiently followed, without imitating at all times the husbandry of a garden, or acting according to the rules which in fluence cultivators in that department. The superiority of garden soil, the attention paid in cultivating it, and the value of the crops raised, afford every encourage ment to a refinement of management, greatly exceeding what can be executed in the field, where a deficiency prevails in each of these particulars ; but even were the garden and the field of similar richness, and were the crops that arc cultivated in each of equal value, still we apprehend that the proper culture is dissimilar, and that practices, good in a garden where small seeds and leguminous crops only arc cultivated, may be improper and unprofitable, when the cultivation of corn is to be attempted.
The Row Husbandry, or the method of cultivating crops of wheat, barley, and oats, according to the drill system, has many votaries, and is less or more followed in the arable districts of Great Britain. We apprehend, that in this way the greatest number or British soils cannot be successfully cultivated, and shall briefly state our reasons for entertaining this opinion. I. The climate of Britain being very variable, sufficient time is seldom to be got for accomplishing the previous operations of the row husbandry ; therefore, when the seed season arrives, drilling is either imperfectly executed, or de layed so long, as to render the after crop precarious and uncertain. 2. The soil of Britain, in nine cases out of ten, is unfit for the row husbandry, being too wet, too poor, too stiff, and therefore not to be cultivated or sown with the implements used in the row husbandry. 3. The culmiferous grains of wheat, barley, oats, and rye, may be raised more abundantly, and at less expense, according to the old-fashioned or broad-cast system, thzin by what is called the row husbandry. When these grains are drilled, they are greatly exposed to the wea ther, and liable to be hashed and broken down by every gale of wind. They also tiller or stool, so long as any interval remains for the spreading, of their roots, which occasions an inequality in the ripening of the grain, of considerable importance to the manufacturer. From these circumstances, we are led to believe, that the fiusbandry cannot be profitably exercised with any of the culmiferous varieties, though with the leguminous ones of beans, turnips, potatoes, Cc. (plants which pro bably derive a large portion of nourishment from the air, or at least cannot be cultivated with advantage where the free circulation or air is wanting) the row husbandry is not only beneficial in the first instance, but of important use towards cleaning the ground, and preserving it in good condition afterwards.