48 



the Mearns observes, that if too great an accumulation of 

 work was likely to be apprehended in the early summer 

 months, an additional ploughing might be saved, by sow- 

 ing oats on the winter furrow ; and another intelligent 

 farmer near Dalkeith, (Mr Mylne of Smeaton,) remarks, 

 that ploughing for barley in spring is unnecessary , un 

 less in a very bad season, when the land could not be 

 wrought, as it should have been, before winter. Mr Yea- 

 man of Murie, near Dundee, also tried barley on a win- 

 ter furrow ; and it was observed, on the crowns of the 

 ridges, and as low down as the middle, between that and 

 the furrows on each side, the barley was more luxu- 

 riant, and appeared richer than that sown in the common 

 way i but towards the furrows, it was thinner and short- 

 er, so that on the whole the difference of produce would 

 not be material. A ploughing, however, was saved.. 



On a point not yet finally settled, it is proper to state 

 the arguments on both sides, leaving the question to be ul- 

 timately decided by future experiments. The farmers in 

 the Carse of Gowrie do not think it would answer their 

 strong soil. When they have spare time in the beginning 

 of winter, to plough part of their clover leys before. 

 Christmas, (which is sometimes the case), they think the 

 mould or soil is too close, and on that account the oats is 

 a more stinted crop, than when the ley is ploughed in Ja- 

 nuary or February. The early ploughed land is also 

 more apt to carry couch grass among the oats *. Mr Pa- 

 terson of Castle-Huntly is decidedly of the same opi- 

 nion. He admits, that barley might be sown on the win- 

 ter furrow, where the soil is loamy, with a better chance 

 of success, for that particular crop ; but the repeated 

 ploughings, both in clay and loam, during the driest sea- 



* Remarks by Mr Jack of Moncur. 



