THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 31 



as the farrow which buried the sward, when broken 

 up, and no deeper. It is therefore of importance, to 

 obtain a deep soil by burying the sward under a fur- 

 row 8 or 10 inches, upon all sward-grounds, when 

 broken up. You may sow turnips to advantage, as 

 a tillage crop, upon either of these grounds, in their 

 changing state, provided you feed them off with sheep ; 

 by hurdles, upon the ground ; but not as a crop to be 

 pulled and removed ; because they are one of the 

 most exhausting crops ; they will impoverish your 

 soil, and thus defeat, in some measure, your object. 

 Clover, and buck-wheat may be used upon both, if 

 ploughed in when green, as a fertilizing crop, when 

 the soils begin to mix, and become fertile ; both these 

 soils may thus be reduced to a rich profitable tillage., 

 for every description of crop. The farmer must al- 

 ways preserve this caution, that if he exhausts their 

 strength by bad tillage, they will both revert to their 

 original state, and become clay and sand again ; but 

 by good tillage, they will continue to improve, until 

 the one becomes a rich clay loam, and the other a 

 rich sand loam, fit for clover and wheat for ever. It 

 is worthy of notice, that the substratum of sandy soils, 

 (even dead blowing sands,) is most generally a strong 

 clay ; thus nature furnishes the means of perfecting 

 her works for the use of man, upon the same grounds; 

 the upper surface of sand may be removed, upon one 

 side or corner of your field, and the substratum of clay 

 be dug and carted on, sufficient for all the purposes 

 required, and at very little expense. 



I am fully sensible that the high price of labour in 

 our country, is a very serious objection to any very 

 extensive improvements in reclaiming lands in this 

 mode ; but such lands as are near to our dwellings, 

 become more immediately the objects of our atten- 

 tion j try these first, and you can then determine how 

 far it will be for your interest to continue the improve- 

 ments. 



