24 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



dibbled into the pressed grooves. In February, we top-dressed 

 the six acres with good farm-yard dung ; and, as late as the be 

 ginning of May, I thought there would not be half a crop, al 

 though plenty of ends ; but toward the middle of the month the 

 clayed part began to look of a much darker appearance than the 

 two acres which were not clayed; and, at the present time,&quot; 

 (when he gave this account,) he thought, &quot;there was one third 

 part more on the clayed than on that which had not been 

 clayed, although managed in every other way the same.&quot; 



He goes on to say that, in January, 1841, he clayed some 

 land which was going to be a turnip-fallow the following sum 

 mer ; and in the month of April, when he began to harrow and 

 plough the land, the clay broke down and slacked like lime, and 

 worked in with the soil. There was not much apparent dif 

 ference in the turnip crop that summer, as the other part of the 

 field was sown at a different time, and he was not able to tell 

 the difference ; but the ensuing year, he says, u the barley looks 

 much stronger and stiffer in the straw, and stands much more 

 upright, than in the land which was not clayed, where the 

 greater part of the crop is down on the ground, and exposed to 

 be rotted by the rain.&quot; 



The quantity applied to the acre is generally about fifty loads ; 

 1 suppose single-horse cart-loads are meant. If more is to be 

 applied, it is advised to make the application at successive times, 

 as, in his opinion, more given at once would do harm. Nearly 

 all the light soil on the farm of the Duke of Bedford, near Wo- 

 burn Abbey, has been clayed, and a great deal of it twice ; and, 

 in every instance, its beneficial effects have been established. I 

 myself can bear witness to the neatness and excellence of the 

 cultivation, though I had not the pleasure of being there when 

 the crops were standing upon the ground. The clay may be 

 dug from the pit at any time most convenient for the farmer, 

 and, if turned over once or twice, will mix much better with the 

 soil, though, of course, the expense of the operation must, in 

 such case, be increased. Mr. Burness says, his plan is to dig and 

 cart it on to the field at once. 



Mr. Pusey is of opinion that this substance, denominated clay, 

 contains a great deal of lime, and is, in fact, a stiff marl. 



Another eminent Bedfordshire farmer, whom I have the 

 pleasure of knowing, speaks of the application of clay or marl, 



