624 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part III. 



3901. The gates of fields should in most cases be placed in the middle of that side of 

 the field which is nearest the road ; and not in an angle, or at one corner, unless par- 

 ticular circumstances point out this as the preferable mode . 



3902. The drainage and water-courses, if any, on farm lands, require to be attended to 

 in laying out the fences, so as if possible to make the ditches of the latter serve as open 

 drains ; also, when opportunity offers, for conveying streams to be used in irrigation, or 

 for driving machinery. The fences and roads will, to a certain extent, be guided by the 

 course of such stream or streams. 



3903. As an example of laying out farm lands from a newly-enclosed common, we 



482 



submit the case of a flat 

 surface, a strong retentive 

 clay soil, a moist climate, 

 a situation distant from 

 markets, with no other ob- 

 ject in view than that of 

 making as much of the 

 lands as possible. A public 

 road (Jig. 482 a) passes 

 the farm, and the farmery 

 is approached by a private 

 road (6 . The size of the 

 farm deemed proper is 

 350 acres; the most pro- 

 fitable mode of occupation 

 is, 1 80 in arable, and the 

 remainder in pasture. The 

 arable subjected to a ro- 

 tation of, 1st, beans, drill- 

 ed, or naked fallow, 

 dunged ; 2d, wheat ; 3d, 

 clover and rye-grass, fed 

 off or mown for soiling 

 cattle; 4th, wheat or oats, 

 if the clover was mown, 

 dunged. The grass-lands 

 are supposed to be wholly 

 fed off chiefly with cattle ; 

 but also with ten cows, 

 for butter and breeding, 

 and a few sheep. 



3904. The buildings (e) 

 are placed in tlie centre 

 of the farm, and contain 

 stabling for four work-horses, and open sheds for eight oxen ; 130 feet of sheds for thirty 

 fatting cattle ; a barn, with threshing-machine impelled by wind ; houses for ten cows, 

 and other conveniences in proportion. There is a kitchen-garden, orchard, rick-yard, 

 and two paddocks (d,f), adjoining the farmery. 



3905. The grass-fields (g), contain only ten acres each, to admit of the great advan- 

 tage of shifting the stock from one to another. They are most distant from the farmery, 

 because requiring least cartage; and some of them bemg in the lowest part of the farm, 

 they may be irrigated. Trees are avoided in the fences, as injurious in flat surfaces and 

 adhesive soils, 



3906. The arable lands (h), are preserved in the centre, to save carting to and from 

 the farmery ; and the enclosures are four times the size of the grass-fields, each shift 

 forming one large enclosure, containing four fields, divided only by open ditches for 

 carrying off the surface water. The two small central fields shown under aration, are 

 supposed alternately in turnips, potatoes, cabbages, &c. for cows, &c. and wheat. The 

 paddocks and closes are for calves or colts. 



3907. The chief, and almost sole products of this firm will be wheat and beef ; the 

 former best worth sending to a distant market ; the latter easily transported to any dis- 

 tance ; and both staple commodities. 



