Chap. rV.] Earth-burning. 120 



of two or three inches, and turned the earth side upper- 

 most to dry. The land, of course, is covered with 

 grass, or heath, or something the roots of which hold 

 it together, and which makes the part taken off take 

 the name of turf. In England, this operation is per- 

 formed with a tnrf-ctitter, and by hand. The turfs are 

 then taken, or a part of them, at least, and placed on 

 their edges, leaning against each other, like the two 

 sides of the roof of a house. In this state they remain, 

 till they are dry enough to burn. Then the burning is 

 begim in this way. A little straw and some dry sticks, 

 or any thing that will make a trifling fire, is lighted. 

 Some little bits of the turf are put to this. When the 

 turf is on fire, more bits are carefully put round against 

 the openings whence the smoke issues. In the course 

 of a day or two the heap grows large. The burning 

 keeps working on the inside, though there never ap- 

 pears any blaze. Thus the field is studded Avith heaps. 

 After the Jirst fire is got to be of considerable bulk, no 

 straw is Manted for other heaps, because a good shovel 

 full oi fire can be carried to light other heaps; and so, 

 until all the heaps are lighted. Then the workman goes 

 from heap to heap, and carries the turf to all, by de- 

 grees, putting some to each heap every day or two, 

 until all the field be burnt. He takes care to keep in . 

 the smoke as much as possible. "When all the turf is 

 put on, the field is left, and, in a week or two, whether 

 it rain or not, the heaps are ashes instead of earth. 

 The ashes are after>vards spread upon the ground; the 

 ground is ploughed and sowed ; and this is regarded as 

 the very best preparation for a crop of turnips. 



201. This is called " /jarm^r and burning.'' It was 

 introduced into England by the Romans, and it is 

 strongly recommended in the First Georgic of Virgil, 

 in, as Mr. Tull shows, very fine poetry, very bad 

 philosophy, and still worse logic. It gives three or 

 four crops upon even poor land ; but, it ruins the land 

 for an age. Hence it is, that tenants, in England, are, 

 in many cases, restrained from paring and burning, 

 especially towards the close of their leases. It is the 

 Roman husbandry, which has always been followed, 

 until ^^^th^n a century, by the French and English. 

 G 5 



