D EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



subjected to the process. On light, sandy, or gravelly soils, 

 where the vegetation is thin and sparse, it is strongly objection 

 able. I will subjoin here an extract of a letter, with which I 

 have been favored, from the intelligent steward of the excellently- 

 managed farm of Lord Hatherton, at Teddesley, Staffordshire. 

 &quot; With respect to the trial we made, of paring and burning some 

 of the high heath lands at Teddesley, we prepared two small 

 patches, about half an acre each, in the usual way, in the spring 

 of 1844, upon the highest part of the Teddesley common, and 

 the ashes were spread and harrowed when the turnip seed was 

 sown. The other part was ploughed and dressed with about 

 five tons of lime to the acre, and sown with turnips at the same 

 time as the above ; but, in consequence of the summer of 1844 

 being unusually dry, both experiments were deficient. We 

 again sowed the land with turnips last June, and the land pre 

 pared with lime has now a decided advantage, and I have not 

 the least doubt it will be much more apparent in the next crop, 

 which will be oats. I have frequently witnessed the experiment 

 of paring and burning waste lands, when they are first brought 

 into cultivation ; but in no instance should I recommend its 

 adoption upon dry, sandy soils, which are already deficient in 

 vegetable matter, which is the case with most of the common 

 lands in this neighborhood, particularly the high lands. The 

 crop of oats was grown upon the highest part of the common, 

 after a crop of turnips, for which the land was broken up and 

 limed, as I have before stated.&quot; &quot; The crop of oats on this land, 

 of which there were sixty acres, were at the rate of full sixty 

 bushels to the acre the result of heavily liming the land when 

 first broken up, and then twice eating turnips off it ; &quot; (that is, 

 eating them on it, by folding the sheep upon it. H. C.) &quot;On 

 no other plan than that of taking nothing out of the land, and 

 putting as much as possible in, could such a produce of oats have 

 been obtained from such a soil.&quot;* 



The lime, in this case, if it were copiously applied, as I saw 



* Since writing the above, a very competent friend writes to me thus : &quot; The 

 experiment of burning did not answer. All my experience has satisfied me that 

 it will not do on my ground. Nor do I believe that it is a good thing any where, 

 where other means of reducing vegetable matter can be had. I have pared and 

 burned a good deal formerly. It brought good crops, but the land was clearly 

 impoverished afterwards.&quot; 



