32 Striflures on Fann-t^lanagement near London, FeK 



ceflkry to cut them before they feem thoroughly ripe ; as they are 

 extremely apt to fhake out from winds, or even in handling du- 

 ring harveit, if allowed to ftand too long. They are known to fill 

 and harden in the flicaf after they are cut : Proverbially, they 

 ripen during nine days in the flieaf. 



After the oats, or rape, the land mufl get a perfed fallow, well 

 dunfTcd for wheat. After which it mufl have alternate crops of 

 drilled beans or clover hay, with wheat, or barley, or oats, judi- 

 cioufly interpofed. And on every occaiion, efpecial care is to be 

 taken to clean the land thoroughly from weeds, and to preserve 

 it fo. 



I know that foil like yours, which has been very long in grafs, 

 palhired by Iheep, and after having been once very thoroughly 

 cleaned from weeds, by a perfetlly well-conducled fallow, may 

 grow wheat and drilled beans alternately, for a coniiderable time, 

 to great advantage, on condition that it gets a decent dreffing with 

 dung once every four years. 



If rape has been taken at firft, after pairing and burning, I 

 fliould not be difpofed to interpofe wheat fo often in the fucceed- 

 ing rotation, as when the land has been broken up with a c^op of 

 oats only. In the cafe of rape, I would ad vile to fubftitute barley 

 in place of wheat. 



When barley is to be fovv\n, the land ought to be reduced into 

 very fine tilth, in the following manner. Having been ridged up 

 before winter by a gathering, furrow, and all the water-furrows 

 and crofs-trenches carefully opened out, it is to be ploughed iu 

 early fpring, with a cleaving_farrow, to lay the land level ; it is 

 then to be crofs-ploughed, harrowed, and rolled, and immediately 

 afterwards ploughed end-long with a gathering-furrow. The feed 

 is then fown and harrowed in : and, before the harrowing is fi- 

 nifhed, red clover-feed is to be fown. Then the water-furrows and 

 crofs-trenches are formed, the whole field laid even by a fmooth 

 roller, and the water-drains opened carefully by the fpade. 



The mixture for hay-feeds, which I wouid recommend on your 

 foil, is, half a bufliel of clean London rye-grafs, and from fixteen to- 

 eighteen pounds of red clover-feed to each acre. One crop of hay 

 only is to be taken, and the after-math pafbured with (heep. 



As I am altogether unacquainted v;ith the cultivation of faint- 

 foln, or cinque foil, and befides do not know whether it might 

 thrive in your foil, I have not prefumed to take that crop into 

 confideration. I am informed that, in fome places, it is mixed, to 

 great advantage, among the hay-feeds. In that cafe, the firfl years 

 produce is a luxuriant crop of clover-hay, with a little faintfoin 

 aniong it. The fecond year gives a mixed crop of clover and lamt- 

 fuin \ and, in the tiiird year, the clover is moilly gone, ar.d the 



field 



