THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



109 



shovir, and very briefly, tliat the present prolonged mode 

 of fallowing, and the breadth of land now put under 

 fallow, are altogether disproportionate to the require- 

 ments of modern farming. The researches of our agri- 

 cultural chemists, and the skill of our agricultural 

 mechanics, have created vast improvements in their 

 resi)ective spheres of labour, of which farmers must take 

 due advantage. Tliese improvements can so readily be 

 applied in promoting the culture and enhancing the 

 productive powers of the soil, as to render the present 

 mode of fallowing almost unnecessary. I believe that, 

 if fallowing is generally carried out in the way I have 

 shown above, the application of manures is not of any 

 great moment — that good green and other crops can be 

 produced without it, through the powerful aid of dis- 

 integrated ammonia, and the deposit of the gaseous 

 compounds contained in the atmosphere. At all events, 

 a more limited dressing will suffice, and thus leave a 

 portion of the farmyard manure for other especial ser- 

 vices, and the replenishing of somewhat-exhausted 

 fields. 



Good modern farming mainly depends upon the 

 liberal and judicious application of capital in the ma- 

 nagement of the land. This is the chief point I aim to 

 establish— a judicious, liberal expenditure in manage- 

 ment. Good farming cannot succeed or proceed without 

 it. This judicious application of capital must be the 

 study and theme of every modern farmer ; and he must 

 be ready at every fitting moment to apply his knowledge, 

 and the powers of his farm, to effect any course or im- 

 portant process in business that may present itself. For 

 this purpose, the available power of his farm must be 

 greatly increased. No farmer of 200 acres of land must 

 expect to farm without fallows, unless by aid of steam : 

 he must have his steam engine ready to aid in cultiva- 

 tion at all times. This, with less than the usual com- 

 plement of farm-horses, will, I incline to think, suffice 

 to complete the mode of cultivation I propose to esta- 

 blish as the system of farming without fallows, as at 

 present practised. 



The great alteration or innovation which I propose to 

 introduce or bring into more general practice is, the 

 system of partial or bastard fallowing. This, with very 

 few exceptions, can only be accomplished in those sea- 

 sons when the sun has power and the weather is suitable. 

 For this purpose every preparation should be made on 

 the farm : all other work should be got forward, so as 

 to leave all hands and all steam and horse-power at 

 liberty to proceed with the partial fallow. Those who 

 cultivate for the potato-crop know well that they must 

 prepare their land early in the spring. They provide 

 for the exigency, and it is done. Then, as to the ge- 

 neral course of business, all the farm operations must 

 be more speedily effected. The putting in of corn crops 

 must not occupy the whole of every season. The appli- 

 cation of more power and more time daily, in the proper 

 season (for, be it remembered, the steam-horse does not 

 tire), will soon complete the sowing of corn crops. At 

 present, this most important part of a farmer's business 

 usually extends over a long and protracted season. I 

 propose to plough or cultivate by steam-power, and 



harrow and drill in the seed by horse-power ; nor would 

 I much abridge the present amount of horse-power on 

 the farm. I believe both powers may be brought into 

 more profitable requisition and employment. In my 

 own occupation, my steam engine does the thrashing 

 which a short time ago was done by my horses ; but I 

 do not find that I can spare one horse more from the 

 farm. I am only enabled to cultivate better, and take 

 ready advantage of every passing season or circum- 

 stance to enhance the productiveness of my land, by 

 pursuing to some extent the system of partial fallow- 

 ing I now advocate, and the effecting other matters o f 

 business more satisfactorily. 



I now come to my other propositions — 1st, Will the 

 present mode and design of fallowing be abandoned ? 

 2nd, What order of management, or system of culture, 

 will supersede it ? and 3rd, Can green or fallow crops 

 be profitably cultivated and grown without such fal- 

 lowing ? 



1st, Will the present mode of fallowing be aban- 

 doned ? I most emphatically answer that, ultimately, 

 it will. The chief benefits supposed to be gained or 

 derived from fallowing are the cleansing, aeration, 

 comminution (or pulverization), and rest of the soil — all 

 very requisite, except the last, which would be rather 

 injurious than otherwise, as conducive to promote the 

 free growth of weeds, and is by no means necessary to 

 the replenishment of a wearied soil ; for, unlike most 

 other things in nature, the more it is worked, tilled, or 

 turned about, the more is it benefited ; but the processes 

 of cleansing, aeration, and comminution of the soil 

 are invaluable, and must be constantly proceeded with^ 

 and as effectually and perfectly carried out as possible. 

 This, however, need not to occupy the whole summer, 

 or indeed any protracted season, provided means are at 

 hand to accomplish the desired end more speedily. It 

 is not a question of time, but mainly of the seasonable 

 application of the required power. I have already 

 attempted to show that, by the general application of 

 more poiver, both draught and mechanical, on every 

 farm, aided by the achievements of chemical labour and 

 science, this amelioration and replenishment of the soil 

 can readily be effected ; and what I now aim to establish 

 as the fundamental basis of a new era in agriculture is, 

 the almost unlimited application of mechanical power 

 to the cultivation of the soil, at those precise and par- 

 ticular seasons and conditions of the soil when the 

 various operations can be most effectually and bene- 

 ficially applied or conducted, taking it as an established 

 axiom that the soil cannot be too freely, deeply, and 

 continuously worked, when in proper order for culture^ 

 For this purpose, we require the universal introduction 

 and application of steam-power to cultivation. This is 

 the great desideratum of the present day, in agricultural 

 advancement. I believe its achievements will far tran- 

 scend any modern improvement yet introduced into the 

 practice of agriculture. We only require the draught- 

 power : the mechanical aids we now possess are suffi- 

 ciently powerful to cause the profitable abandonment of 

 our present course of fallowing, owing to the facilities 

 thus afforded for reducing the soil into that state of 



