the English and Scotch Systems of Husbandry. 255 
and consequently a greater loss is sustained from shaking by 
wind, as well as in the process of reaping. ‘This circumstance, 
together with what has been stated respecting the thrashing, I 
have little doubt will make a difference of five per cent. in the 
produce. A further advantage attending the thrashing-machine 
is, that it prevents pilfering by labourers; a circumstance of no 
small importance, as it is generally believed in this quarter, that 
farmers are injured a good deal in that way when corn is hand- 
thrashed. After having stated so much in favour of the thrash- 
ing-machine, I have now only one objection to state against it. 
In this situation, straw is an article of some profit, and by ma- 
chine-thrashing, its price is reduced, but that disadvantage of 
course would cease, were they to get into general use. 
That the difference betwixt the system of cropping, which I 
have laid down for my lands, and the rotation most common in 
this neighbourhood, may also be shown, I shall now add an esti- 
mate of the annual expense and produce of a farm of 210 acres, 
tithe free, under each rotation. My rotation is, Ist, turnips 
(drilled); 2d, barley, or oats; 3d, clover ; 4th, wheat, after 
which, autumn or stubble turnips; 5th, potatoes ; 6th, wheat ; 
after which, part rye and part tares, to be fed on the ground, or 
cut for soiling. The other, or the common rotation in the neigh- 
bourhood, is, Ist, turnips (broadcast; 2d, barley; 3d, clover ; 
4th, wheat, after which, part stubble turnips; 5th, oats, after 
which, part rye for sheep-fed, say one-half. Before proceeding 
further, it may be necessary to premise, that in this situation, at 
least 10 per cent. of the ground is occupied with hedges, ditches, 
roads, farm-buildings, &c.; but from 5 per cent. being sufficient 
for these purposes, when fields are a suitable size, with hedges 
and ditches of a proper description, I have only deducted ten 
acres, thereby leaving 200 for crops. This divided by six, the 
number of years in the first rotation, gives 334 acres for each 
crop, and divided by five, gives 40 in the second. From the 
larger proportion of green or fallow crops in the former, a team, 
that is, a man and two horses, are charged more than in the 
latter, it being assumed the difference of horse labour in the two 
rotations is equal to one-fourth. 
Cost of Horses, Implements, Fc. and Annual Expense of the 
First, or Six Years’ Rotation, 
fits, hk 
Fight horses, at 401. .. .. «2 3820 0 0 
Harness for ditto .. «2 «. « 42 0 0 
Eight carts (with frames), at 162. 128 0 0 
Five ploughs, at 4/. 10s. .. .. 2210 O 
Carried forward £512 10 0 
