2()4 On Farm Management hetlvht Forth and Tyie. Aug. 



alternate corn and grafs. By the Interval of one, two, or more 

 years between fowing the corn lands with artificial grafs-feeds, 

 and again converting them into tillage, the ground is always 

 frelh, always in^jpregnated with matter on which lime ads 

 powerfully ; and by applying it ah?ie to the ftrongeft of the land, 

 great corn crops are raifed, while nearly all the dung is appro- 

 priated to the turnip foils. Here we obfcrve an additional reafon 

 for the vajl crops of that ufeful root, which are obtained in the 

 northern diftricfls, and for the folid foundation which is laid for 

 jncreafing fertility in the increafing quantity of vegetable and 

 animal manures. 



Having thus, Sir, beflowed upon the northern agrioulturifts 

 that tribute of praife to which their diftinguiflied merits entitle 

 them, I mull now proceed to a more painful, but perhaps not 

 lefs neceflary talk, that of cenfuring Jome parts of their manage- 

 ment. Thev generally leave far too much draw uneut in their 

 fields ; and the pradice of harrowing up the flubbles, and car- 

 rying them to litter the fold yards, is purfued by but a few farm- 

 ers. Scourings of ditches, other rich earth, and the top fods of 

 drains, are not carried to be mixed with other manures, as in 

 many parts of the fouth, where potato tops, cabbage flalks, 

 luflies, quickens, &c. are all collected and mixed up with lime, 

 dung, S-:c. ; and where the utmoll exertions are made to raife 

 rich compofls, and to incrcafe the quantity of that ufeful and 

 invaluable article manine. In (lead of this judicious pratii^ice, 

 however, I have v/ith forrow obferved, on bothfuies of theTiveedy 

 even on fontc pattern fanns, large quantities of potato and cab- 

 bage flems, quickens, and other valuable vegetable matter, go- 

 ing to wafte in fmall heaps at the ends of ridges and fides of the 

 loads. This forms a disgraceful contrail to the other excellent 

 management of thefe northern farmers -, is detrimental to 

 themfelves ; and, confidering the influence of their example, 

 injurious to the adjoining country. In another part of this 

 diltrlcl, namely, that fertile tra£l of land between the Pcafe- 

 I^ridge and the city of Edinburgh, which feems, upon the whole, 

 to be admirably cultivated and manured, fome defctls of a fimi- 

 lar nature may be obferved. But the greated objedl:ions I can 

 urge to the management there purfued, are, that fome farmers 

 fuffer too many runches, &c. (which drilling and horfe-hoeing 

 would deftroy) to grow among their corn ; and that a part of the 

 land feems in a confiderable degree exhauded by too long, or 

 too frequent aration. Indead of taking only one crop of clover 

 and rye-grafs, would it not be more proiitable management, in 

 tie courfe of a Ung leafe^ to keep more Iheep, and allow the land 

 vo remain two or three years in grafs previous to the introduc- 

 tion 



