92 THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 



Others consider all naked fallows as a waste of ex- 

 pense without any adequate benefit, and insist upon 

 some fallow crops either of turnips, to be fed oft" by 

 sheep, or of potatoes, to be',dug for stock, or of buck- 

 wheat, or clover, to be ploughed in as a fertilizing 

 crop. Both probably are in an error, -and run into 

 the opposite extremes. A strong stiff clay, or a hard 

 gravelly soil, cannot be ploughed too often for a fal- 

 low ; but a loose sandy soil may be greatly injured 

 by too frequent ploughings. The latter may be till- 

 ed to advantage, with # a potatoe fallow ; and the for- 

 mer by a turnip fallow, to be fed off by sheep ; or after 

 several ploughings, with the fertilizing fallows of buck- 

 wheat, ploughed in : but a rough stony soil cannot be 

 tilled with a fallow crop to advantage ; this land, and 

 perhaps this only, requires a naked summer fallow. 

 The great advantages to be derived from a summer 

 fallow are these : 



1. Frequent ploughings destroy the herbage upon 

 the fallows, and the roots and seeds of herbage, and 

 thus render the grounds clean for the following crops. 



2. This is 'greatly promoted by a potatoe fallow, 

 both in hoeing and digging. 



3. The plough renders the earth light and mellow, to 

 receive the seed when sown, and to admit the ex- 

 tensien of the roots of the grain, when it vegetates. 



4. At each ploughing it changes the soil, and ex- 

 poses a new surface to receive the benefits of the sun, 

 air, rains and dews, with their fertilizing powers. 



5. It renders the earth light and pervious, for the 

 admission of the sun, air, rains and dews, and opens 

 a free circulation for them to the roots of the grain, 

 (or plants, whatever,) and thus they impart their fer- 

 tilizing properties lo the vital principles of the crop 

 you cultivate. 



6. The green fallow, when ploughed in, as well as 

 the potatoe fallow, greatly promote this benefit, by 

 meliorating the soil. Upon this principle, the 

 plough, with the fertilizing crops, upon a summer fa!-. 



