Observations on Colonel Taylor’s Letter. 71 
—One trial. may not be enough, he will discover rea- 
in broad and flat lands. Frequent ploughing does not seem 
always to answer on this, as well as on lighter soils, unless 
it be ridged, and thrown up to drain. I feared that, in the 
first essay, the proper mode would not be adopted. It is 
on this soil only, in this country, that fresh dung, can be 
recommended, if it be in any case preferable. Arthur Young, 
in his address to the British board of agriculture, (1809,) 
speaks in strong terms of approbation, of the practice of ap- 
plying fresh dung; and quotes the authority of professor 
Davy, for its great and important efficacy, chemically consi- 
dered. It would be well to make experiments on all soils ; 
and obtain facts and results. For myself, I can answer, that 
on light soils, I have tried it repeatedly, with evident disad- 
vantage, though I am not a friend, to over-rotted dung. 
There is a communication from Thomas Gregg Esq. to the 
British board of agriculture, May 20th, 1809, of his mode 
ef managing a farm of 240 acres: of heavy, wet clay land, 
in Hertfordshire, England. It is well worthy the attention of 
our farmers on such lands. Though his husbandry is on the 
drill system, which we are not in the habit of practising, yet 
much of his management might be profitably introduced.— 
He ploughs but once in the year. And that in the autumn 
and winter; and then ploughs in his dung, which remains 
undisturbed by the plough, (his allowance ten loads to the 
acre,) and therefore, he says, a less quantity has more effici- 
ency. The surface is kept clean, friable, stirred throughout, and 
free from baking, by the scarifier and harrow, which prepare 
for, and cover all his crops; which, where they are of simi- 
lar grain, are not greater, to the acre, than our own, with good 
farming. Of the instruments, plates are given. The scarifier 
is not unlike my cleaning harrows ; but more adapted to his 
use. Mine are for lighter work, in loamy soils, with only one 
wheel, in the beams by which they are drawn, to regulate 
