Ch.V.] BEATSON'S SYSTEM. 69 



further information, wliich he readily afforded ; and, from recent personal 

 communication and correspondence, we are assured by him, " that his 

 uncle's system is still pursued upon his farm with the best effect ; as is 

 evinced by the clean condition of the land, the heavy crops produced, and 

 the quantities of stock maintained. The only alteration of importance 

 made in his mode of cultivation subsequent to the publication of his pam- 

 phlet, was the substitution of a seven years' course, in place of that of six 

 years, by which he obtained two crops of wheat — one on the clover ley, and 

 another after the beans and pease. The annual course of cropping in the 

 several years now, therefore, stands thuS' — 



1. Turnips. 5, Wheat. 



2. Bailey. 6. Beans and Pease. 

 3 and 4. Clover. 7. Wheat. 



No material alteration has been made in the implements ; nor was any 

 fallow permitted so long as the late Mr. Greg's health allowed his super- 

 intendence of the farm ; but the bailiff now occasionally falloios a field 

 of the heaviest land : this, however, is only resorted to when the land sown 

 with turnips has not been prepared in time for the barley crop, and only 

 averages about 16 acres a year out of 250." 



beatson's system. 



Knowle Farm, in the neighbourhood of Tunbridge Wells, which was a 

 few years ago in the occupation of the late General Beatson, contains about 

 300 acres of land, of which 112 are arable, and is described as abounding 

 with clay, and retentive of surface moisture, but when dried by the summer 

 heat, it becomes as hard as a brick, and impervious to the plough, unless 

 with a great power of animal exertion, particularly as the general mode is 

 to plough deep. The established rotation in that part of Kent and the 

 neighbouring portion of Sussex is fallow, wheat, and oats, with occasionally 

 clover and rye-grass; and the husbandry appears to have remained unaltered 

 for many ages, with the single exception of substituting lime for manure 

 instead of marl. Upon this system the farm was managed during the 

 General's absence while Governor of the Island of St. Helena ; and finding 

 on his return, in the year 1813, "that he had no cause to boast of its 

 profit, he resolved to trace the whole progress of the operations, from the 

 commencement of the fallow to the close of the rotation ;" the result of which 

 was, that " having made a series of experiments to which he devoted his atten- 

 tion during five years, he determined upon the total abolition of fallows*. 



* His experiments were extended to various objects besides the working of the land ; 

 particularly to the Gombinations of different kinds of manure, and the burning of clay 

 (for which, see our vol. i., chaps. 16 and 17) ; but our present extracts only extend to 

 the subject of fallowing, the charges of which he states to have amounted to 16/. per 

 acre, thus : — 



Labour, breaking up the clover ley and three subsequent ploughings £3 12 

 Eleven harrowings at ten acres per day .... 

 Manure, one and a half waggon load of lime between the third 



and fourth ploughings 

 Carting and spreading ditto . 

 Seed, two and a half bushels of wheat at 10s. 

 Sowing and rolling .... 



Rent and taxes for the year of fallow 

 Ditto for the year of crop . . . 



£16 4 



See his ' New System of Cultivation,' together with the Supplement, containing plates 

 of several machines invented by him ; some of which well merit attention. 



