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i. The size of the farm in which they are situated; 

 a. The nature of the soil or subsoil ; 3. The rotations 

 adopted ; 4. The number of ploughs in the farm ; 5. The 

 command of water : 6. Access to roads ; 7. The elevation 

 of the ground; 8. Its being in pasturage or otherwise ; and, 

 9. The nature of the climate. 



i. Size of the Farm. The size of fields ought cer- 

 tainly, in some measure, to depend, on the extent of the 

 possession. In small farms near towns, from six to 

 twelve acres may be sufficient ; but where farms are of a 

 proper size, fields from twenty to- even fifty acres, in 

 some cases as high as sixty, is the si/.e that has been 

 recommended, and that in na case, they should br 

 under twenty Scotch or twenty-five English acres, if it 

 can be avoided. One of my correspondents indeed 

 states, that his inclosures are about twenty Scotch, ov 

 twenty-five English acres each, and that he would cer- 

 tainly enlarge them, were he not restricted to that size 

 by his lease. Mr Brown of Markle, who e knowledge 

 in every branch of agriculture is so well known, con- 

 siders a field of thirty Scotch or thirty eight English 

 acres, to be a proper medium size, when permitted by 

 local circumstances. 



2, Tie nalurc of toe Sjil and Subsoil. The be^t size 01 

 fields for arable cultivation, must always depend upon 

 the nature of the soil and subsoil. When the loil ij 

 chiefiy dry, it is of consequence to have the fields largr, 

 as it tends to accelerate the ploughing, harrowing, rr 

 ing, &.c. ; but when it happens to be strong clay, it then 

 becomes a matter of prudence to contract the size of ihe 

 fields, chiefly for the purpose of keeping them as dry as 

 C 



