On Claying or Marling Land. 235 



since gone over 420 acres, in every instance with good effect. Upon 

 the gravel and sand land I put 40 loads per acre (my carts hold 

 40 bushels) ; on the moorland, 70 loads. I give my men 3o?. per 

 load to fill and spread, and they earn from 2s. Zd. to 2s. Qid. a-day : 

 I do it either directly after harvest or in the winter if a frost, but 

 prefer the former time, it going on with less labour to the horses, 

 and not cutting the land so much, and generally you have less 

 work on your farm at that time for both man and horse : the clay 

 then gets dry, and as soon as rain comes may be harrowed about, 

 when it will immediately begin to act beneficially to the land by 

 correcting the acidity, of which most lands have too much, thereby 

 making food for plants of what was inert in the soil, and giving 

 the land that solidity which is requisite. This year I have some 

 rare instances of the good effects of it : I say rare, for I do not 

 recollect ever having seen so much good resulting from it before : 

 in one instance, where a field was clayed 14 years since at the rate 

 of 40 loads per acre, with the exception of a small land about 

 4 yards wide, upon which the turnips are entirely gone off from 

 graping (some call it fingers and toes), in the remainder of the 

 field the crop of turnips is excellent. I have both marl and clay 

 on my farm, and always test them by vinegar ; if they effervesce I 

 consider them good. Upon trial of the clay I put upon the above 

 field, I found, when first dug up, that in vinegar it was quiet ; it 

 had the appearance of brick-earth, rather inclined to be yellow, 

 and very tough : still, as I had no other near that field, and it must 

 either be that or none, I took a lump of it home, and laid it on 

 the hob of the stove near the fire to dry, and then tested it with 

 vinegar, when I was pleased to find it effervesce : this determined 

 me to put it on the land and let it have all the benefit of the sun 

 in the summer, and the result is as above stated. Another instance 

 is the effect on moorland : in September 1835 I put 70 loads per 

 acre of marl, blue with some chalky particles amongst it, upon 

 7 acres ; wet weather prevented me finishing the remainder of the 

 field (viz. 7 acres). The next spring this field was sown with 

 oats — by far the best crop where the clay was ; the next year tur- 

 nips — very grand as far as the clay went, the remainder came up 

 and died off in a few days ; afterwards sown with rape, but it was 

 ordinary : the next year, barley after the turnips, 6g qrs. per acre ; 

 after the rape, oats, 4 qrs. per acre, light and ordinary: in 1840 

 the remainder of this field was clayed, and this year a great crop 

 of barley on every part. Land will not always show the benefit 

 it derives from clay in the first crop, which is the reason it is con- 

 demned by some persons ; others dread the expense, which after 

 all is but little. A man, to carry on his business well, and to be 

 always in season, must have a sufficient force of horses : this will 

 enable him to clay his land ; he will always find men ready to fill 



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