Ch. VUL] ON SOILS AND COURSES OF CROPPING, 117 



1. Turnips. 4. Oats. 



2. Barley. 5. Drilled beans and peas. 



3. Seeds, under pasture during 6. Wheat, 

 three years. 



Or that recomnientled by Mr. Russell, which consists of — 



1. Wheat on a clover ley. 5. Barley alone. 



2. Swedish turnips. 6. Tares and brush-turnips. 



3. Barley and stubble-turnips. 7. Barley, as above. 



4. Peas and ditto. 8. Clover. 



by means of which the land would be kept fresh, and in good condition ; 

 while the management, besides being agreeable to the soil, would con- 

 siderably reduce the labour of tillage. 



No. V. 



Sandy soils, however, though well adapted to tlie above system, are not 

 favourable to the growth of wheat, unless they contain a large portion of 

 clay, or receive dressings of alluvial compost, marl, or some substances 

 which will impart to them that body and strength which they do not natu- 

 rally possess. Barley, oats, and rye — the latter especially — are however 

 sure crops on such land ; and if rye were more generally sown upon it, 

 instead of wheat, it would be, in most cases, found to return a better profit. 



The courses adopted by Von Thaer on tlie royal farm of Moegelin, in 

 Prussia, on sandy loam of the quality of good barley land, are: — 



The culture of cole-seed should, however, not be attempted unless there be 

 abundance of manure ; without which, a green crop should be substituted 

 for No, 6. In these rotations he gives the preference to winter corn, as 

 their produce is more certain, and they not only furnish a greater quantity 

 of straw, but the sowing is prepared with greater ease : but if that cannot 

 be accomplished, then spring corn is sown. When drilled beans are planted, 

 turnips are sown after the last hoeing, and are followed by barley : but in 

 some instances tares are sown and cut green, in which case they are 

 followed by rye, and then oats. 



The land to be then laid down with seeds for at least three years in 

 pasture *. 



No. VI. 

 Is adapted to cold thin clays, and the course may be shortened or length- 

 ened according to circumstances, but should never extend further, in point 

 of j)Ioughing, than when dung can be given to the fallow break ; for this is 

 the key-stone of the whole, and, if it be neglected, the land will become 

 exhausted, and the rotation rendered unequal to the expense of cultivation. 

 Soils of this description do not improve much in grass, unless laid down for 



* Principes raisonnes d'Agric. 2d Edit, torn, i. ^ 395. 



