In the new Farmer's Calendar, an attempt has been made to defend drill husbandry in every case ; but we apprehend the defence is executed with more zeal than judgment. Air Tull was the father of this husbandry in Britain, and supported it by many strong arguments; but it is notorious, that neither lie nor any of his disci ples served themselves by following it. We are nut hostile, however, to this mode of husbandry in certain situations, and under certain circumstances, that is, Where soil and climate are favourable to the several operations which belong to it. In our opinion, the chief merit of drilling consists in the regularity with which the seed may be sown, and the equal depth at which it may he deposited in the earth. Having made these admissions, We cannot go farther in support of a system utterly impracticable under the physical circumstances in which Britain is generally placed. Soil and climate, in a few districts, may render the row husbandry par tially eligible, but we repeat, that it never can become generally prevalent.
Wee are eagerly disposed to promote the drilling of turnips, potatoes, beans, and all the varieties of the leguminous tribe, but cannot go one step farther in re commending the drill husbandry upon general princi ples. We acknowledge that, upon certain soils, wheat, barley, and oats, may be successfully cultivated, accord ing to the row husbandry ; and we have seen that system exercised to the manifest benefit of the persons by whom it was executed. Still as applying to the great majority of British soils, the row husbandry is inexpedient and unprofitable, and with them the culture of culmiferous clops, according to the broad cast system, must, by every practical agriculturist, be received as mwtt bene ficial and advantageous.
I laving said so much concerning the inexpediency of drilling all crops, we shall 110W say a few words concern ing the drills that are used, and the advantages which may be derived from these implements.
The drills first used, were constructed upon simple principles, and wrought in the wheel-barrow way, by a person who pushed them in the furrow, when beans were to be sown, and on the top of a small narrow ridge of ground, when turnips were cultivated. A drill of this kind is generally used for beans at this day, though larger ones, sowing two or three drills at a time, and drawn by a horse, have lately been brought into prac tice. The hand turnip-drill, however, is almw,t laid aside, as it has been found that the seed sown by it did not vegetate, from not being put ch ep enough into the earth. Hore-drills were then resorted to ; and these are constructed such precision, as not only to distri bute the seed with mathematical exactness, but also to ensure vegetation in the driest seasons, unless the moisture, from negligence, has been suffered to evapo rate. We are convinced that these large drills are infi nitely better calculated for the turnip husbandry than small ones ; but the same superiority is not discernible in the husbandry of beans, because in many soils and situations it is impracticable to form a drill at seed-time therefore the single row barrow is run in the furrow after the third plough, circumstances not permitting the seed process to be more accurately executed. Where
drills can be made up, that method ought undoubtedly to be followed; but the real bean soils being generally of a wet and tenacious nature, it rarely happens, unless in favourable seasons, that it is practicable.
That ingenious and well-informed agriculturist, Mr Bailey of ChiHingham, in Northumberland, has done much to render drills more perfect than formerly ; and being intimately acquainted with mechanics, as well as good husbandry, he has, in the instances alluded to, availed himself of his extensive information, and brought these implements to a degree of perfection not to be expected from the labours of the mere mechanic. In the survey of Northumberland, written by this gentle man and his friend George Colley, esq. we observe the following account of drills, which cannot fail to be read with interest by every agriculturist, especially if situa ted in a district where these implements are not com monly used.
" A Drill for sowing Turnips on the tops of one-bout Ridges.—When this mode of cultivating turnips was first introduced, the only drill used was a hollow cylin der of tin, with a small hole in the bottom, through which the seed was shook : If this orifice be made of such a size as to deposit a proper quantity of seed, it is very liable to stop, and of course large spaces are to tally missed; if made so wide as to prevent this incon venience, it then sows far too much : This defect induced me, some years since, to construct one upon d.fferent principles, which is now coming into general use.
The most essential parts of this drill consist of a solid cylinder C (Plate VII. Fig. 2.), of iron or brass, 2 inches diameter, and one inch broad ; on the surface are made or punchtd 13 cavities, of the form of a send-egg, cut lengthways, and so deep as to hold 4 or 5 seeds each. On the back part of this cylinder (a little below the top) is placed the hind part of the hopper, to which is fixed a piece of iron or brass (GA) 1 inch long, and ' broad, hollowed on the inside into the form of a Gothic arch (as in Fig. 4.) the sides of which meeting the sides of the cavities in an oblique angle, prevent the seeds from bruising; at the lower end of this piece of iron (which may be called a gatherer), is made a slit, A of an inch long, and wide ; and at the hack of it, a thin flat piece of iron (TE) moves up and down, by means of a screw S, at the top of the hopper, which enlarges or lessens the orifice 0, directly above the cavities, and increases or diminishes the quantity of seed delivered, as the operator thinks necessary. This slip of thin iron, (which may be called a regulator,) is let into a grool e made in the board which forms the hack part of the hopper.