[f. prec.] trans. To make water-furrows in (land). Hence Water-furrowing vbl. sb.
1523–34. Fitzherb., Husb., § 13. If a drye season come before Candelmasse … it [sc. the ridged fallow] wolde be caste downe and waterforowed bytwene the landes.
1557. Tusser, 100 Points Husb., xxii. (1878), 223. The sede being sowne, waterforow thy ground.
1560. Pilkington, Aggeus, G iv b. Let hym … water, hedge, and waterforow, or what other thyng so euer he can deuise to make the ground fruitfull.
1662. Atwell, Faithf. Surveyor, 9. It follows now to speak of those that must be done either chiefly by the spade, or onely the spade. Chiefly by the spade, called water-furrowing.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., Kal., October … Well Water-furrow, and Drain new sown Corn Land.
1743. in R. Maxwell, Sel. Trans. Agric. Scot., 41. Plow up the Land and water-fur it.
1812. Sir J. Sinclair, Syst. Husb. Scot., I. 207. In preparing land for a crop, water-furrowing is a very important operation.
1813. Vancouver, Agric. Devon, 140. The furrows [should be] struck out with a plough,… and the field left gripped and water-furrowed.
1902. Daily Chron., 3 Feb., 7/5. The cost of producing wheat … is per acre about as follows:—Twelve carts of manure at 5s. per cart, £3;… water-furrowing, 1s.
