Cultivation of Moorland. 381 



the month of March, and upon the land that was first cleared of 

 its roots, the later eatage of roots being upon those lands that 

 are intended to be sown down with artificial grasses, without a 

 corn crop. 



When the farm is sufificlentlj advanced, I much prefer the fol- 

 lowing course of cropping (for elevated lands) : — 



First year. To pare and burn the natural herbage, for a root 

 crop, and apply 2\ tons of lime per acre, mixed in with a 

 moderately thin furrow of soil, say 2^ inches ; this will produce 

 20 tons of turnips per acre, at a cost (as previously stated) of 

 4tL \0s. — say 5/. — per acre, or at the rate of 5^. per ton. 



Second year. Formerly I adopted the plan of sowing two 

 turnip crops in succession, for the reason that the second one 

 was an inexpensive and convenient one, and enabled me to clean 

 the land more effectually before sowing it down with grass-seeds. 



My present ])lan is to seed out all lands after a turnip crop 

 with proper artificial grasses, omitting the corn crop at this stage 

 of culture, and until the new fibrous soil shall have had its frolic 

 and become more fixed and consolidated for the growth of corn. 



When these grass-seeds are sown, it is both desirable and pro- 

 fitable to add half a dressing more lime (li ton), for their enjoy- 

 ment and that of the farm stock when depasturing them ; still it 

 is an extra outlay of capital that must be considered with refer- 

 ence to other expenses when so many other works are waiting to 

 be performed, aAd these alike with tenant's capital. 



Thus, after the turnips are corisumed (chiefly upon the land),, 

 the land is carefully ploughed, cleaned, and sown with artificial 

 grasses and rape-seed, commencing the first v.eek in April. 



These young grasses will be ready to stock by the end of June, 

 and, if allowed to get well established, they will usually fatten 

 full ten sheep per acre, and if care be taken to clear them occa- 

 •sionally, so that they sweeten and recover themselves, they will 

 prove of infinite value up to Christmas. If they remain clear 

 from the end of September for the ewes and lambs, which is a 

 still better plan, they give a help over the inclemency of the 

 months of March and April, after which they become first-rate 

 pastures for the fattening of any class of stock, and maintain 

 their comparative goodness for several years. 



This plan of fanning in an elevated country goes very far to 

 conquer the climate and to enable tlie farmer to maintain a large 

 and lieal.tliy flock of sheej) : in fact, it may be said to form the 

 het/stunc to the whole structure — without it, the building is in 

 dantjer. 



If any practical man will take into account the newness of the 

 soil, coupled with the preceding management, according to which 

 no corn crop will have been taken out of the land, I leave it to 



VOL, XVII. 2 D 



