43<5 Tallcwing Defended. Oil, 



The necefiity of Summer- fallow depends greatly -upon the 

 nature and quality of the foil ; as, upon fome foils, a repeti- 

 tion of this praftice is feldomer required than upon others. 

 Wherever the foil is incumbent upon clay or till, it is more 

 difpofed to get foul, than when incumbent upon a dry gra- 

 "vcljy bottom : befides, wet foils, from being ploughed in Win- 

 ter, contra6t a ftifFnefs, which leflens the pafture of artificial 

 plants, and prevents them from receiving fufficient nourifh- 

 ment. When land of a dry gravelly quality gets foul, it may 

 be eafily cleaned, without a plain Summer-fallow ; as crops, 

 fuch as turnips, &c. may be fubllituted in its place, which, 

 when drilled at proper intervals, admit of being ploughed as 

 often as neceflary ; whereas wet foils, which are naturally 

 unfit for carrying fuch crops, mud be cleaned and brought 

 into good order by frequent ploughings and harrowings du- 

 ing the Summer months. 



It is from neglefting to make thefe difhintflions, that the 

 erroneous fyftem laid down by Mr Kent, the Norfolk fur- 

 ■veyor, evidently proceeds. 



The county of Norfolk generally confills of dry fand, or 

 of rich fandy loam ; and, agreeably to the above principles* 

 Summer-fallow may, in that dillrict, be confidered as imne- 

 ccfTary. If Mr Kent had confined his ftridures to the huf- 

 bandry of Norfolk, no objedlion could reafonably have been 

 urged againil them ; but, when he condemns Summer-fallow 

 altogether, he ftrikes at the agriculture of Britain in a moft 

 material point. 



I'he fubltance of Mr Kent's arguments againft fallow, may 

 be comprifed under four heads : 



I//, Nature does not require any paufe or reft ; and the 

 earth was evidently defigned to yield a regular uninterrupted 

 produce* 



idl'j^ As the productive quality of the earth never ceafes, 

 if corn is not fown, weeds will be produced; therefore, it is 

 our bufinefs to expel the unpi-odu6live plant, and to intro- 

 duce others that are beneficial. 



3f//)', That the idea of leaving land to left, is ridiculous ; 

 for by keeping it clean, and by a judicious intermixture of 

 crops, it m.ay be managed like a garden, and fown from one 

 generation to another. 



£i^thly. That the fallows in England exhibit nothing but a 

 coniilft between the farmer and his weeds, in which the lat- 

 ter generally prevail ; for they are only half- ilifled, and never 



efTediuaily killed. 



The 



