23 



acre or two of light soil, with the strong soil contiguous, 

 which might be all done in one or two days. Draining 

 perhaps would, in the first place, be necessary ; but the 

 soil in the field would ever after be uniform. In fields 

 where light soil predominates, the same plan reversed, 

 might be adopted. 



We shall now proceed to state the advantages of at- 

 tending, as much as the circumstances of the case will 

 admit of, to the principles above laid down. 



1. Every intelligent farmer will admit, that it is a 

 material drawback to the cultivation of his farm, if the 

 fields, instead of being regular in size or form, are laid 

 out arbitrarily, without attention to any judicious sys- 

 tem, and where the whole farm is divided into fields of 

 various sizes, from 5 to 10, and thence to 20 or 30 acres 

 each, it is extremely difficult to equalize them, so as to 

 suit any judicious rotation of crops ; whereas by having 

 fields of a proper size, the whole strength of the farm, 

 and the whole attention of the farmer, is directed to one 

 point, and there is also an emulation among the plough- 

 men, when they are assembled together. 



2. It is evident, that where fields are of a proper 

 size, less ground is wasted, there are fewer fences to up- 

 hold, and fewer birds to destroy ; that the crops of grain 

 can be more early harvested, and are less apt to suffer 

 in dry and clear weather ; and that though small inclo- 

 sures are better sheltered in winter, yet the opener they 

 are in summer the better ; for in hot weather the cattle 

 and sheep always go to the airiest places *. But the 

 principal argument in favour of large fields is this, that 



Remarks by Mr Robertson of Almon. 



