r8o4. Cn a Smtahle Rotation of Cropf. 28 1' 



cafe, the beft method he can have- rec our fe to for rc(?^ifylng the 

 defc(Sls of his fallow, is to plough it again in the fpring, which, 

 it is plain, cannot ordinarily be done in time for wheat ; there- 

 fore barley or oats mufl be fown in its place. But, after all, 

 though the above rotation poflefTes, in my judgment, many ad- 

 vantages, yet, as was before obfcrved, fuch is the prefcnt compa- 

 ratively reduced price of barley, that fcarcely any prudent farmer 

 will think of cultivating it to the extent he v/as formerly in- 

 clined to do, until the price again finds its due level. Befides, it 

 mud be obfervcd, that on the generality of foils, tlie rotation i 

 have ventured to recommend cannot be with fifety adopted -, for, 

 except on deep loams, "naturally rich foils, or fuch as arc under 

 the beneficial influence of lime, it will almoft invariably be ad- 

 vlfable to fow wlieat after fallow, or even oats, in preference to 

 barley. I fhall now therefore mention another rotation, which 

 is, I believe, more extenfively adopted than the hit ; and that is, 

 ift, fummer-fallow ; 2d, wheat ; 3d, grafs ; 4th, oats j i^th, drill- 

 ed beans, or broad-call peas ; 6th, wheat, or oats. 1 his rota- 

 tion is perhaps as judicious as any that can be chofen upon wet 

 clay foils ; barley being wholly excluded, as a very precarious 

 crop, efpecially if fuch have not been lately limed. The moft 

 ©bvious difadvantagc attending this rotation feems to be, that 

 when, from wet fummers, or from want of dae exertion, the 

 fallows have not been perfe£lly cleaned, the land gets very foul 

 before the rotation is completed j and, of courfe, the crops turn 

 out unprodu61:ive. 



The judicious and experienced farmer will therefore be induced 

 to deviate from this method of cropping, when, from whatever 

 caufe, he obferves that his fallows have not been fo completely 

 dreiTed, as to render it prudent to fow grafs-feeds among his fal- 

 low wheat, and will rather take a crop of drilled beans after the 

 wheat, and, by beftowing fome extraordinary labour and atten- 

 tion to the cleaning of it, endeavour to reftify, in fome meafure, 

 the defeds of his fallow ; and then either conclude the rotation, 

 by taking another crop of wheat ; or, when decent barley may- 

 be expected, to take a crop of that grain after three furrows ; 

 next grafs-feeds, and then oats. 



A rotation of eight crops has been fuccefsfully adopted by fome 

 excellent farmers, and is as follows: lit, Summ.er-fallow ; 2d, 

 wheat; 3d, drilled beans; 4th, barley; 5th, grafs; 6th, oats j 

 then, after dunging, 7th, drilled b<^ans ; 8th, wheat. I am in- 

 clined to tliink, that this rotation is a very good one, on fuch rich . 

 clays as are favourable to the culture of beans, or where the 

 farmer has it in his power to apply more manure than the farm 

 kfelf produces ; but it certainly cannot be very generally adopted. 



