Deepening the Staple Soil. 559 



generally in an inverse ratio to the quantity of grain. This Avliole 

 field was peculiar for the manner in which it showed the effects 

 of deeply preparing the soil for wheat in the following ways : — 



1st. Greater bulk of straw of a soft description, much laid, in 

 fact laid in proportion to the depth of cultivation. 



2ndly. Later ripe, also in proportion to depth, 



3rdly. IVIore chaffy, which gave the ears an imposing appear- 

 ance in size. The brightness and stiffness of wheat-straw we 

 have for many years observed to increase with the shallowness of 

 the preparations for it ; at least it has been so in our case, where 

 the land has a staple either naturally deep, or made and kept so 

 by deep and effectual fallowing for roots, &c. 



After this we were satisfied that exposing the soil to the action 

 of the air has indisputably a beneficial effect, especially if 

 the land is thoroughly and deeply ploughed in the autumn in 

 such a way as to expose the greatest surface and body of earth 

 to the influence of the weather during the winter. Our ex- 

 perience satisfied us that no more ploughing is required in pre- 

 paring land for roots, &c., unless some other object is in view 

 besides the pulverization of the soil, such, for instance, as the 

 ploughing in of manure, &c. 



We will now describe the way in which we began a new 

 system of deepening strong clay land, at the same time changing 

 it into a loam and good turnip soil. 



The plan is, after autumn cleaning the stubbles, to plough the 

 land the same depth as the good earth ; in April harrow it well, 

 then plough 2 inches deeper than the former ploughing, turning 

 the furrow completely over, and laying the subsoil on the top : or 

 with the trench- plough liringing up 2 inches of clay to tlie top. 

 When this clay becomes partially dry, harrow across 2 or '6 times 

 with a set of Howard's or Williams's heavy-land harrows ; take a 

 strong horse-rake and collect all the clods into rows ; then light 

 fires 22 yards apart, using a good thorn faggot to kindle each 

 heap, adding clods and finely broken coal or coaldust in alternate 

 layers as the heaps burn up. Thus there will be 10 heaps to the 

 acre, containing about 1() cubic yards of burnt clay each, which 

 will cost for coUcctiiKi out of the rows left by the horse-rake ; 

 //«7Viz;/f/(including coal at 1<)a\ a ton) ; and then »preadinfj,inti\\ GO5. 

 to 80.S-. an acre, accordingly as the weather is wet or dry ; the ope- 

 ration in fine weather t,ikes about a fortnight. After the heaps 

 have burnt 4 or 5 davs, thev will not be jnit out bv a fall of 2 

 inches of rain, wliicli is the full average monthly fall. Tl»e hands 

 required are .'5 men to 2 acres. Alter spreading the ashes, which 

 should be done by the Ist of Juni', j>lougli them in l)alf the depth 

 of tlie former ploughinjr, and sow half a bushel of white mustard to 



2 1-2 



