i8o STATISTICAL SURVEY 



crop. Before this trial the field was not thought re- 

 markably good, and the owner was encouraged to go 

 on year after year, by the excellence of the preceding 

 erop. I mud obferve, the field had been long in grafs, 

 and wheat was harrowed in after digging out the po- 

 tatoes. Had this field been put into a regular courfe 

 of tillage, hy taking an ameliorating crop, fuch as 

 clover, peas or beans, between the wheat or barley, I 

 think it might have been in a ftate of progreffive im- 

 provement for any number of years. Lime is alfo ap- 

 plied after potatoes; in this method it lafts a confider- 

 able time, if it is laid on immediately after they are dug. 

 Sometimes lea ground, having been- ploughed in win- 

 ter, is drefled with this manure, by fpreading on the 

 ridges before harrowing, which operation is performed 

 when the grain, generally oats, is fowed; the furrows 

 are then dug and {hovelled, by which both feed and 

 manure are completely covered. In the firft crop the 

 effect is not great, for lime does not acl fo rapidly as 

 many other manures of lefs duration. Lime is often 

 mixed with earth, and laid both on grafs grounds and 

 on grounds already ploughed; the fuccefs of this mode 

 greatly depends on the proportion of lime with earth. 

 Many perfons are now of opinion that, when lime and 

 earth are to be applied to the improvement of land, 

 they come much more quickly to their purpofe of enrich- 

 ing it, by firft fpreading the lime on the grafs, and then 

 covering it with earth: there are Jftrong arguments in 



favour 



