i8oo. of the County of Northumberland. 425 



paring and burning entirely obviate, and infure full crops to the 

 farmer, wbo need not be under any appreheafion of his foil being 

 ruined by it, provided he purfues the tollowing courfe : 1. Turnips. 

 2. Oats. 3. Fallow, well limed for turnips. 4. Barley, fown up 

 with clover and grafs feeds, and depaitured with (heep for three or 

 four years ; and afterwards (if not inteinledto lye in grafs) continue 

 ft in the rotation mentioned p. 73. It is the injudicious croppirgy 

 ipore than the ill effects derived from paring and burning, that has 

 been the chief caufe of brin^riug fuch an odium on this praftice, 

 which is certainly an excellent one '\n fame fitualions, ?inA properly 

 conduced ; but, like the fermented juice of the grape, may be too 

 often repeated, and improperly applied. 



*' The popular clamour agalnft this praflice, *' that it dejlroys 

 thefod," we can by no means admit ; and are inclined to believe, 

 that not a hngle atom of foil is abftracled, though the bulk, of the 

 fod or turf be diminHhed. This arifes from the burning of the 

 roots or vegetable fubftances, which, by this procefs, afford a con- 

 fiderable portion of alkaline falts, phlogillic or carbonic matter, 

 and probably other principles friendly to vegetation ; as we find 

 thofe afhes produce abuniant crops of turnips, which fatten ftock 

 much quicker than thofe after any other drelTing or manure we have 

 ever feen ; and the fucceeding crops of corn are Iq very luxuriant* 

 as to tempt the injudicious cultivator to purine it too far ; who, for 

 the fake of a temporary gain, ma^ be faid to rip it up, as the boy 

 did with his goofe that laid golden eggs." 



We apprehend that too much is faid, p. 139, viz. " That 

 every exertion of ingenuity is pra£tifed to raife a large por- 

 tion of farm-yard dung." ^lery. Are the corn-crops cut 

 low ? Unlets this is attended to, one fifth, in fome cafes 

 more, of the rheans of making manure, is efFeclually loft. 

 The condu6l of the Cheviot farmers, in allowing their dung 

 to be taken away by the floods, deferves fevere reproba- 

 tion. 



We entirely agree with the opinion given, p. 143, " That 

 upon fome foils, the application of lime, in confiderable 

 quantities, is abfolutely necefl'ary, in order to bring them to 

 their moll fertile ftate, and to prepare them for the aftion 

 of oth-r manures " We have often, however, viewed the 

 Northumberland lime-hufbandry, as little better than giving 

 the land a fnulF; and we do not wonder, " that many intel- 

 ligent farmers begin to doubt of its efficacy, and the pro- 

 priety of continuing to lay it upon their old tillage lands." 

 In fuch fituations, it is only throwing away money unne- 



ceflarily, 



