Ch. VIII. ] 



ON FOILS AND COURSES OF CROPPING. 



121 



upon so 'many circumstances of an uncertain nature, that no statement, 

 however accurately represented, can be regarded in any other light than 

 as an approximation to the truth. The experience of farmers, their 

 constitutional energies and intelligence, vary as much as their persons ; 

 and, although these are important to the success of the business, yet their 

 effect cannot be estimated. Neither can details, which apply specifically to 

 particular cases, be assumed as applicable to the general course of luis- 

 bandry. AVe, therefore, regard the numerous accounts which have been 

 published rather with curiosity than confidence ; and for that reason, we 

 decline assuming any of those which have been transmitted to us by private 

 individuals, or which have been inserted in the county reports ; but, as the 

 subject of labour and expenses may interest many persons who are only 

 partially acquainted with agriculture, we transcribe the following brief cal- 

 culations, founded upon the rotations Nos. II. and IV. which we have taken 

 from Mr. Russell's late work, and which, allowing for differences in the 

 market prices of corn, come as near the truth as most of those which we 

 have examined : with this observation, however, — that he has run into the 

 general error of agricultural writers, in making no allowance for unfavour- 

 able seasons, or for losses which neither caution nor judgment can avert, 

 and has thus placed the gross profits of the farmer at a rate considerably 

 above par. 



EIGHTY ACRES OF GOOD 



ProrUico. 

 A. R. P. 

 10 Wheat, 27 bushels per 



acre, at 60?. per qr. £101 5 



10 Tares, at 105.S. per acre 52 10 



10 



10 



10 

 10 

 10 

 10 



Barley, 40 bushels per 



acre, at 32s. per qr. 80 



Beans, 30 bushels per 



acre, at 40s. per qr. 75 



Wheat, as above .101 5 



Tares ditto . . 52 10 



Barley ditto . . 80 



Clover, mown twice, 



3 tons per acre, at 



63s. per ton . . 94 10 



WHEAT AND BEAN SOIL. 

 Outgoings. 



Tillaj^e, 21s. ; seed, preparing, 



and sowing, 23s.; reaping 



and harvesting, 16s. 6d.; 



stacking, thrashing, and 



marketing, 22s. 6(/. per acre. £41 15 

 Tillage, 21s.; seed and drilling, 



1 8s. ; soiling, 5s. per acre. 22 

 Preparing and carting dung 



iVom two crops of straw . GOO 

 Tillage, equal to five plough- 



ings, 70s; seed, &c. 16s.; 



harvesting, 12s. 6(/.; taking 



in, thrashing, and marketing, 



20s. per acre . . . 59 5 



Tillage, 21s.; seed, 16s. Gd.; 



planting and hoeing, 1 6s. ; 



harvesting, 16s. ; taking in, 



thrashing, and marketing, 



15s. per acre . 

 Mixing and carting dung 

 Tillage, as before 

 Ditto, ditto 

 Ditto, ditto . . . 59 5 



Clover seed, 7s. 6d. per acre ; 



harvesting 30 tons of hay at 



7s. 6d. per ton ; purchased 



manxire, 35/.* . .5000 



Amountof Produce £637 Total outgoings £350 5 



The cost of wear and tear being included in the charges for labour. 



* The kind of manure used is not stated ; were it gypsum or ashes, it could be 

 obtained at much less expense, and would probably be found at least as effectual, if not 

 more so in its improvement of the clover, as the application of dung, see Vol. I. p. 323, 

 and 336. But the clover seed is under the usual charge, and the cost of harvesting 

 hay far below it. 



