^\$ BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XV. 



the general opinion of farmers that they will not succeed oftener than 

 once in eight or ten, and in some cases twelve years*. 



The propriety of applying farm-yard manure to the soil is also a subject 

 of dispute ; and fresh dung is generally objected to, as occasioning the 

 crop to run to haulm, unless it be ploughed into the land previous to the 

 winter. The latter objection is no doubt founded upon practical experience, 

 and perhaps the application of dung in any shape may be inexpedient if the 

 soil be unusually rich. This, however, is only rarely the case, and, so I'ar 

 as our own observation extends, we have ever found that a moderate coat 

 of spit-dung, when laid upon land of a middling quality, has improved the 

 crop both in grain and haulm: but, even were the produce of grain 

 thereby somewhat diminished, yet, if the haulm be increased, a material 

 point is gained both in its value as food for cattle, and by its fertilizing 

 influence upon the future corn crop; for it is well known that, if it be de- 

 ficient, the soil will be left covered with weeds. 



A startling assertion is, indeed, made on this subject in the works of 

 that eminent agriculturist Von Thaer, whose opinion is entitled to the 

 greatest deference ; to the effect — " that repeated comparative experiments, 

 made during several years, have proved to him tliat dung, whether rotten 

 or fresh and long, when spread upon the land after the sowing of the peas, 

 is not only more advantageous to the crop then in the ground, but is also 

 more fivvourable to the growth of the succeeding corn than if it had been 

 buried by the plough." He, indeed, confines that opinion to sandy loam 

 (glaise sablonntuse), as he had not extended the trials to strong clays ; but 

 on soils of that nature, he adds, — " that experience had demonstrated its 

 correctness in a manner so striking as to destroy all those theoretic prin- 

 ciples by which it might seem to be contradicted f." 



The cuUiire of pease is nearly similar to that of beans ; except that they 

 are more generally sown broad-cast ; and, when drilled, are not usually placed 

 at such wide distances between the rows : tliey are, therefore, more frequently 

 cleaned with the hand-hoe than the scufller. When sown broad-cast, they 

 are hoed out to nearly equal distances and hand-weeded ; or sometimes 

 harrowed in the manner of beans; the object being rather to loosen the 

 ground about their roots preparatory to a future hoeing than to destroy the 

 weeds. However well the operation may be performed, it is still inferior 

 to the process of drilling : of which an instance is recorded in the Berwick- 

 shire Report, where it is stated, — " that the pease in a field of seven acres, 

 after being drilled, were carefully hoed and weeded, and produced an abun- 

 dant crop of both grain and haulm ; but the headlands, which were sown 

 broad-cast, produced a wilderness of weeds, and the crop was a mere nullity." 



When drilled, the rows should be laid east and west, in tlie same maimer 

 as beans ; and the hoer ought to take particular care at the first hoeing not 

 to draw the soil /rom the rows, but rather to them, so as to form a skreen 

 for the tender sprouts. It is, indeed, a good practice to leave the back part 

 of the drills, that are exposed to the north or the east, standing in the form 

 of a ridge, which will thus afford protection to the young plants, and their 

 growth will be much forwarded. As soon as they begin to run, they 

 should be again clean hand-hoed and weeded, laid up against the ridge 

 facing the sun, and well earthed up %. They will then soon spread across 

 the rows, and their stems will interweave amongst each other, so as to 

 overshadow the land and cause the weeds to decay. 



* Reports of Bedfordsh., p. 398 ; Herts, p. 98. 



f Priiicipes Raisonnes d'Agriculture, 2de edit., torn, iv., p. 182. 



% Malcolm's Survey of Surrey and Sussex, vol. ii., p. 308. 



