Marking the boundaries of a field

A good field must have its proper boundaries. Before preparing your field, mark out its boundaries.

You will need to know how to measure your field.

Example: You want to make a field of 1 hectare.

Field of 1 hectare

This field should be either square or rectangular. This means that its corners must be right angles.

How to make a right angle

The corner of a is book let is a right angle.

Measure 4 metres along side OA and 3 metres along side OB.

Now the length of AB should be 5 metres.

Right angle

Why make a field with right- angled corners?

It is easy to calculate the area of such a field.

You can reckon better the density of sowing (see Booklet No. 1, page 26).

You know how much fertilizer to apply.

You know whether the field yields a good or a poor harvest.

· It is easier to till with animals.

HOW TO CALCULATE THE AREA OF A FIELD

To calculate the area of a field with right angles at the corners, multiply the length by the width of the field.

Example: a field is 100 metres long and 100 metres wide; its area is 100 x 100 = 10000 square metres (m²).

A square metre is a square measuring 1 metre in length and 1 metre in width.

One hectare = 10 000 m²

Example: a field is 200 metres long and 50 metres wide; its area is 200 x 50 = 10 000 m² . It is aIso 1 hectare.

A field

Two fields of 1 hectare

A field which is 71 metres long and 71 metres wide has an area of 71 x 71 = 5 041 m²,

A field which is 100 metres long and 50 metres wide has an area of 100 x 50 = 5 000 m²

These are both fields of half a hectare.

In order to work with animal power: