ON FALLOWING. 17^ 



up to, without incurring such loss; as the requi* 

 site alteration in the vegetable matter contained 

 in the soil, may be as effectually produced during 

 one dry summer month as in twelve. 



Any green crop, that will admit of being re- 

 moved in the months of June or July, may be 

 raised without detriment ; thus, grass, clover, or 

 tares, may be removed, either as hay, or green 

 food for cattle ; or if these or other greens be in- 

 tended as manure, they should be cut and dried 

 before they are buried or ploughed in ; for, as be- 

 fore observed, the operation of making grass into 

 hay, is the conversion of mucus into sugar j and, 

 therefore, hay, as a manure, will be found very 

 superior in its effects, to green grass. And when 

 land is manured for turnips or rape, for feed- 

 ing, as a preparation for a wheat cro}) ; if rust or 

 laying down of the corn be an object, the feed 

 (for the reasons stated) may be carted off and 

 eaten on other lands. 



Conformable to his general notions, Sir H. 

 Davy again expresses his dissent to the operation 

 of fallowing. He says, '* When weeds are buried 

 " in tlie soil, by their gradual decomposition 

 " they furnish a certain quantity of soluble mat- 

 " ter; but it may be doubted whether there is as 

 " much useful manure in the land, at the end of 

 ** a clean fallow, as at the time the vegetables 



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