120 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. VIII. 



These rotations, it will be seen, are all calculated for land that is already 

 under the plough ; but where it is in an uncultivated state, it is evident that 

 none of these can be successfully practised ; therefore, in addition to what 

 we have said in the preceding chapter on the subject of fen- lands, the fol- 

 lowing measures may be pursued : — 



First, If the ground be not pared and burned, to break it up with 

 a deep furrow during the winter, or early in the spring months ; 

 sparing neither harrow nor roller, and using the grubber sufficiently 

 in the first year, so as to rot and destroy the roots and the surface 

 grasses. 



Secondly, Upon the summer fallow, to lay a dressing of five or six 



chaldrons of lime, ploughed in as hot as possible ; and in the following 



spring, to commence whatever course may afterwards be deemed 



jirudent with a crop of oats, followed by turnips, dunged. 



If the land be naturally dry, or well drained, and of a good staple, this 



mode of procedure will bring it into a state for the regular continuation of 



the alternate husbandry ; provided it be sufficiently light to carry turnips to 



be eaten upon the ground. If it has been pared and burned, the lime may be 



dispensed with, as the ashes will afford a good dressing, and two crops of 



oats are not unfrequently taken in succession, without a fallow, in order to 



completely rot out the matted grass roots. The soil should however be 



of good quality, and should be supported by the regular application of 



dung. To this it may be also added, that although farmers well know 



" Muck to be the mother of the meal-chest," yet if the ground be not 



worked well, with judgment, and at proper seasons, the object of successful 



cultivation cannot be attained by the mere intermixture of green crops with 



those of grain. 



The alternate system of cropping being founded upon the basis of pro- 

 viding food for both man and beast, may be carried on either by allowing 

 a portion of the land to rest during each course for more than one year, 

 under natural or artificial grasses, upon which the stock are pastured, while 

 another part — which had been previously laid down — is again broken up; or, 

 by annually changing the crops of grain and roots, and soiling the cattle 

 in the yard's. The former is best adapted to light soils and large holdings, 

 upon which flocks of sheep are kept, whereas, on smaller farms, and 

 stronger land, the latter is found to be the most profitable plan ; but it 

 absorbs proportionably more capital, and demands a greater share of atten- 

 tion : this, however, shall be more particularly adverted to when we treat 

 of soiling. 



The great object of the latter being to produce large quantities of dung, 

 nearly the whole of the straw should be converted into litter, by which, and 

 the consumption of the green crops by the stock, such an amount of farm- 

 yard manure may be raised as will not only preserve the land in good 

 heart, but ensure its gradual improvement. Either system may however be 

 profitably adopted upon land capable of growing good crops of turnips. 

 This is perhaps the only crop which, upon such soils, can neither be over- 

 ploughed nor overdunged. On very light land it may indeed be thought that 

 ploughing may be carried so far as to render it too tender, and conse- 

 quently hurtful to the after-crops : but on soils of that nature, the turnips 

 should always be eaten off by sheep upon the ground, and their treading 

 will bring it to a proper consistence. 



EXPENSES. 



The produce, charges, and surplus balance of profits upon farming, depend 



