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We will fuppofe the land we have to cultivate is 

 in its nature rather poor and unfertile, and rendered 

 more fo by being too frequently cropped, and its 

 culture neglecfled, and confequently overrun with 

 the worft kind of weeds? the queftion is, what 

 mode of culture will bring fuch land into proper 

 tilth, and produce a profitable crop at the fame 

 time with the leaft expence? To anfwer this pur- 

 pofe, I have already obferved, the crop muft be 

 planted in rows with intervals fufficiently wide to 

 admit the free ufe of the hoe-plough whilft the 

 crop is growing, as often as the growth of the 

 weeds requires it. This will be three, or perhaps 

 four times, in fuch foul land, during the courfe of 

 the fummer. For this purpofe I know only of 

 three or four articles which will by any means 

 anfwer. Thefe are, the different fpecies of cab- 

 bage plants, beans, potatoes, and perhaps peafe. I 

 have tried carrots, parfnips, turnips, turnip-rooted 

 cabbage, lucern, fainfoin, and every fort of grain, 

 but without the leaft fuccefs ; for in fpite of every 

 effort, the weeds baffled all attempts, and deftroyed 

 the young plants that arofe from feed, before the 

 hoe-plough could be introduced. Cabbages, beans, 

 and potatoes, were all the articles that afforded a 

 profitable return. The ficld^in which I made my 

 experiments is feven acres, and was exadlly in the 

 poor condition above dcfcribed. The method 1 



purfued 



