471 



AHARLE LANI>. 



ARABLE LAND. 



Uw rlry crop U too luxuriant uxl becomes laid, and the malting 

 qualitm of it cannot be good. In that caw the four yean' or Norfolk 

 rotation, i* modified by the introduction of a wheat crop between the 

 turnip* and barley, so that it bocomea a fire Tears' rotation, namely, 

 1. Wheat; 2. Turnip*; 3. Wheat; 4. Barley; 5. Clover. 



Where the land and climate are unfavourable to the adoption of so 

 evens a rotation, the Norfolk coune is modified by the extension of 

 the clover orer two yean, thun. 1. Wheat; 2. Tumi]* ; 3. Barley; 

 4. Clover and Grass ; 5. Clover and Gran. 



The Kat Lothian rotation, adapted to the rich noils of the lowlands 

 in that county, laata six yean, thuii. 1. Wheat ; 2. Turnip* ; 3. Barley ; 

 4. Clover and On**; 5. Date; 6. Potatoes and Beans. 



Ami in the same county, where jwtatoes are more largely cultivated 



yean' rotation obtains, that crop being taken after the turnip 

 crop, thus, 1. Wheat ; 2. Turnips ; 8. Potatoes ; 4. Wheat ; 5. Grass ; 

 0. OaU ; 7- Beans. 



On the clay alluvial lands of Scotland, a bare fallow U taken in the 

 firrt year, followed by, 2. Wheat; 8. Barley; 4. Clover and Gnus; 

 6. OaU; . Beans; 7. Wheat. 



We may add to these a fourth modification of the Norfolk course, 

 recommended by Mr. Caird, for cases of light potato soils where the 

 cultivation of potatoes U advisable, namely, 1. Wheat; 2. Clover; 

 3. OaU ; 4. Turnips ; 5. Potatoes. 



These rotations are sufficient to give some idea of the principles on 

 which they have been adopted. In Scotland they adhere less strictly 

 to particular rotations, nor are the tenants in general so much tied 

 down a* in England ; seasons and circumstances cause deviations, which 

 are sometimes judicious and often unavoidable. It is best, however, 

 to follow some regular coune, and in the end it will be found most 

 profitable. A very common rotation in Scotland is follow, wheat, 

 clover, or grass fed one, two, or three years, then oats, peas, or beans, 

 and wheat again, if the land U clean and in good heart ; for there is 

 n<> rule better established, than that of never allowing the soil to be 

 exhausted beyond a certain point where manure and tillage can readily 

 recruit it. The greedy cultivator is sure to pay dearly in the end for 

 every crop forced from the land unreasonably ; but the means of 

 remedying exhaustion of the land, both those which depend on the 

 use of efficient implements of tillage, and those which depend on the 

 application of manure, are so multiplied and extended since the days 

 in which most of these systems of rotation originated, that there is 

 not that need of them which once there was, and an energetic and 

 liberal cultivator need not be deterred by the circumstance that it is 

 out of iU place in the rotation, from taking any crop from soil in fitting 

 condition which it may be his interest to grow. 



Without preventing the tenant from using his discretion as to the 

 mode in which his farm is best cultivated, a proprietor may be suffi- 

 ciently protected against wanton deterioration of the land, by insisting 

 on a green crop or fallow intervening between every two crops of grain, 

 and consuming all the fodder and roots on the farm. For this subject 

 we must refer to the article FARM. A proprietor with skill and ex- 

 perience cultivating his own land, need only consider the state and 

 quality of his fields, and what will moat likely grow well in them : 

 what in most in request, both for his own use and in the market ; what 

 will keep his men and cattle in most regular work, without confusion 

 or hurry. If he allows his land to be im|K>verished for want of 

 manure, or to run wild with weeds, for want of hoeing or fallowing, 

 he has not the experience and judgment which are necessary for his 

 pursuit*. 



The Flemish husbandry proceeds much on this principle : The 

 greatest attention is paid to manuring and weeding. Much more 

 manual labour is bestowed than with us, and the crops seem more 

 certain, varied, and abundant That it is not unprofitable we may 

 condude from the wealth of the peasants, the comfort of the labourers, 

 and the sleek appearance of the cattle. From the very interesting 

 account of Flemish agriculture in the work of Mr. van Aelbroek of 

 Uhent, written in Flemish, translated into French, and published at 

 Paris in 1830, we learn with what great care the soil is cultivated in 

 Flanders. After ploughing into lands as we do, every intervening 

 furrow is deepened and cleared with the s|>ode, the earth being thrown 

 over the bed sown. Liquid manure (which is sadly thrown away in 

 this country), chiefly the urine of animals and drawings of dunghill*, 

 Is carefully collected, and is carried on ami distributed over the poor 

 light soils, by means of water-carts, before sowing, and again when the 

 crop is come up. By this means such lands are made to yield crops of 

 rape seed, clover, lucent, flax, and com equal in luxuriance to those on 

 the richest soils. Fallows are rendered unnecessary by the careful 

 destruction of weeds. In short, it is a garden culture on an cxtendi-d 

 scale. All the land is in tillage, except where riven occasionally over- 

 How, and render the meadows rich and profitable. The cattle are 

 mostly kept in stables, and fed with green food cut and brought to 

 them ; by which means one acre of clover, lucern, or other artificial 

 m, will 



ill maintain five times as many beast*, or more, as an acre of 

 the best pasture ; but the great object is to increase manure, especially 

 in a liquid state, which U carefully preserved in reservoirs, without 

 lost or waste, till wanted for the land. This system U also followed in 

 Switzerland, whirh, considering its soil and climate, is one of the best- 

 cultivated countries in Europe. 



We observed before, that the want of a nufficient supply of manure 



on the old three-field system led to the laying-down arable land to 

 pasture for a time and then breaking it up again. This was first 

 practised in a regular rotation in Holstein and Mecklenburg, and raised 

 these countries rapidly amongst agricultural nations. 



In Holstein, on moderately good soil, they adopt the following 

 coune : 1. Oats, on newly broken-up grass land. 2. A fallow to 

 destroy grasses and weeds, and accelerate- the decomposition of t!..-ir 

 root*. 3. Wheat with or without manure, according to the state of 

 the land. 4. Beans, barley, or oats. 6. Wheat, manured, unless it 

 has been done for the beans the year before. 0. Grass aeads pastured 

 for three years or more, when the rotation begins again. 



A Mecklenburg rotation, not unlike the Scotch, consists of, 1. 

 Beans well manured, or potatoes. 2. Wheat or nuts. 8. BarK-y or 

 oats, unless sown the year before. 6. Peas or tares, wawnrrrf. 8. 

 Wheat. 7. White clover and grass seeds, which were sown among the 

 wheat the year before, and are kept in pasture during the 8th anil i'tli 

 yean. There is no fallow, and in a moint climate it will IK> difficult to 

 keep the land clean. It might, however, easily be introduced, ax in 

 the Holstein rotation. 



Another rotation is, 1. Oat*. 2. Beans well manured. 3. Wheat. 

 4. Tares manured. 6. Barley. 6. Clover and grass seeds mown for 

 hay and green fodder. 7 and 8. ditto, fed. All these are excellent for 

 a moderately good soil well managed. If the soil i very rich, tin- 

 following i the most profitable of any : 1. Rape seed well manured. 

 2. Wheat. 3. Beans or potatoes manured and hoed. 4. Barley. 5. 

 Clover. 6. Wheat. 7. OaU with white clover and grass seed* 

 pastured two or three years. The principal object in this t-onvrrtible 

 system is to lay the land down in good heart, and as clear of weeds 

 as possible : the grass will then be abundant, and continue good for 

 several years. Liquid manure, carried upon it in spring, will s> 

 enrich it as to admit of making the crop into hay, or cutting it green 

 for the cattle in the stables. In light soils, the tread of sheep and 

 cattle is of great use ; in heavy, wet soils, they would do harm. No 

 wet land will bear this rotation. 



We have now given a brief outline of the manner in which aiuMe 

 land may be cultivated and improved. If we should be asked, whether 

 so much attention and labour upon land of a proper quality will be 

 repaid by the value of the produce, after deducting the portion due to 

 the landlord, or to the state we shall answer, without any hesitation, 

 in the affirmative, provided the cultivator is possessed of knowledge, 

 judgment, and experience, and devotes all his time to the super- 

 intendence of his farm. The calculations on which this opinion is 

 founded cannot be introduced here ; some idea of them will be given 

 in the article FARM. Agriculture is so healthy and so agreeable an 

 occupation, that it can never be extremely profitable : the competition 

 for land will always prevent thU. The butcher and cattle-dealer will 

 always, if successful, make for greater profiU than the farmer ; and a 

 decent livelihood, with a moderate interest on the capital laid out, i* 

 the most that a farmer can expect, even with the greatest assiduity. 

 If he neglecU his business, and leaves it to others less interested in 

 the result, he must be a loser. Gentlemen who cultivate for pK 

 and employ bailiffs, are fortunate if they get a moderate rent after 

 paying expenses. For careless farmers, the simplest system alone can 

 prevent great loss ; and grass land may be profitable in the hands of a 

 proprietor, who would probably be ruined if his laud were all arable 

 and in his own hands. 



Our limits will not permit us to enter into the important .-u! 

 improvements, nor into the question of great or small farms, its most 

 beneficial to the community : these and various other branches of the 

 subject will be found nndrr proper heads; such as BAIIIII \ l.v.n. 

 KAHM. Uii.viMNii. IRRIGATION, MANURE, LABOUR, GRASS-LAND, CAT- 

 TLE, Ac. ; and for the peculiar cultivation of the various produeU 

 of agriculture, see WHEAT, BEANS, BARLEY, CLOVER, OATS, PEAS, 

 4c. ic. 



We shall only mid the names of a few authors whose works may be 

 studied and consulted with advantage, by all those who desire to have 

 a competent knowledge of agriculture, either as a branch of general 

 knowledge, or for the purpose of iU practical application. 



Of the Greek writers on husbandry we have hardly anything left, 

 except in the collection of C.issianus Bassus, entitled ' Ueoponika ' 

 (earth-labouring). This collection, in twenty books, was made at the 

 command of the Emperor Constautiniw Porphyrogennetus, and was 

 chiefly compiled from Greek writers, whose name* are given. We are 

 not aware that there is any foreign translation of the ' Ueoponika/ 

 except the old German vt-ixioii of ' Herren,' Ih.-t printed at Strasburg 

 in 1545, 4to. The Latin writers, Cato, Varro, Virgil in his ' Georgics,' 

 Colmnclla. ami I'alladhm, are well known : their works, especially the 

 last two, will lie found to contain many valuable remarks ; and abridged 

 translations of them, or extract*, would be very useful even to modern 

 agriculturist*. Of the above, the following have been translated by 

 the Rev. T. Owen, rector of Upton Scudamorc, Wilt* : 1. ' The Three 

 Books of M. Terentius Varro, concerning Agriculture.' London, 1800. 

 8vo. 2. 'The Fourteen Books of Palhidius on Agriculture.' London, 

 1807. 8vo. The same author has also published ' Agricultural Pur- 

 suit*, translated from the Greek.' London, 1805. 2 vols. 8vo. Of 

 the earlier English writers, we shall only mention Fiuherbert, 

 Blythe, Hartlib, and Weston. Afterwards came Evelyn, Tull, Hale, 

 and the great oracle of modern husbandry, Arthur Young; with 



