424 General View of the Agriculture OCk. 



** The advantages arifing from inclofing of commons, In refpedl 

 to the Improvement ofjlock, is obvious, when it is confidered that, 

 while in a ftate of common, every one turns on what lie pleafes, 

 and there is generally double the quantity of ftock that there ought 

 to be : the confequence is, they make no improvement ; they barely 

 ex'i/l. Should an enlightened breeder wifli to improve his fhcep, 

 how is he to effeft it, while his ewes mix promifcuoufly with his 

 neighbour's flocks ? If he had the bcil tup in the kingdom, can 

 he be fure that one of his ewes would be tupped by him, while 

 there are probably not lefs than a fcore of his neighbour's to con- 

 tcft the female with him ? On the other hand, if the common 

 were inclofcd, every one would flint with that fpecies of ftock for 

 which his allotment was beft adapted, and in fuch numbers as would 

 infure profit. When he can confine his ewes within his own inclo- 

 fure, he can make whatever experiment he pleafes, by putting a 

 few, or many ewes, to any particular tup, without any fear or ap- 

 prehenfions of having a fpurious breed, by the interference of his 

 neighbour's. He is alfo enabled to keep his flock from many dif- 

 orders. Few commons but have forae trails of land liable to the 

 rot. How are they to be prevented from depailuring on it ? Or, 

 if the fcab, or other infeftious diforders, have taken place amonglt 

 any flock on the common, how is he to avoid it V* 



The authors are friendly to paring and burning, and their 

 opinion upon the fubje£l (p. 137.) is fo conformable to our 

 own, that we flnall give the whole fecftion. It is not the 

 operation itfelf which deftroys the foil, but the injudicious 

 cropping carried on afterwards. The like Injury may be done 

 by lime, which we have feen pra6tlcally exemplified. 



" Paring and burning is not much praftifed in the eaftern and 

 northern parts of the county ; in the mii'dle and fonthern parts it 

 is moft prevalent ; but even there, it is confined to old fwards, and 

 coarfe, rough, rulhy, and heathy lands. For the firft breaking up 

 of fuch ground, it is certainly very convenient, and preferable to 

 any other mode we have ever leen ; but though wt are fully con- 

 vinced of its beneficial effects in fuch fituations, yet we have our 

 doubts whether it could be ufed with advantage upon lands that 

 have lain a few years in grafs, and that would produce good crops 

 of grain immediately on leing ploughed out, which is not the cafe 

 with coarfe, rough, heathy lands, or even very old fwards on rich 

 fertile foils ; it being found that crops on the latter, are frequently 

 very much injured by ^^ leaping" for two or three years ; which 



paring 



