. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. 322 THE BOOK OF THE FARM WINTER. (704.) In tliese four months the moss subsides about 1 foot. After the two spits of the shovel, the longest edging-iron is again employed to cut down the last spit, which is done by leaving a shoulder ce, 5 inches broad, on each side of the drain, fig. 153. The scoop, fig. 152, is then employed Fig. THE Boo DKAtN SCDOP. to cut under the last narrow spit, which \a removed ircrvn its position by the small gra
. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. 322 THE BOOK OF THE FARM WINTER. (704.) In tliese four months the moss subsides about 1 foot. After the two spits of the shovel, the longest edging-iron is again employed to cut down the last spit, which is done by leaving a shoulder ce, 5 inches broad, on each side of the drain, fig. 153. The scoop, fig. 152, is then employed Fig. THE Boo DKAtN SCDOP. to cut under the last narrow spit, which \a removed ircrvn its position by the small graip. The scoop pares, dresses and finishes the nanow bottom of the drain, with a few strokes with its back, making the duct d 1 foot deep. (705.) The filling of the drain is performed at this time, and it is done in this manner. The large tui-f Z», fig. 153, which was first taken out, and is now dry, is lifted by the hand and placed, grass side undermost, upon the shoulders e e of the drain, and tramped firmly down with the feet. The second large turf a, which is not so dry or light as the first, is lifted by the giaip and put into the middle of the drain, and the long, naiTpw stripes of turf c e separated by the scoop from the bottom, along with other broken pieces, are also placed by the graip along both sides and top of the drain, and all the sods just fill up the subsided drain. (706.) Fig. 153 represents the drain thus fin- ished, which is well suited for the drying of bog, and in its construction possesses the advantage of having all the materials for filling it upon tlie spot. It is a well-known property of dried moss that it resists the action of water with impunity, and the mode just described of making drains affords ample time for the drying and hardening of the turfs cast out of the drains ; but it is not requisite for the efllciency of the turfs that they be dried, as they answer the same purpose quite well in a wet state; but the time allowed for the subsidence of
Size: 2305px × 1084px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
