Book VI. BREAKING UP GRASS LANDS. 845 



broken up ; for it is not improbable that its being kept in pasture was partly on account 

 of its wetness. Land that has been long in pasture does not require dung during the 

 first course of crops that is taken after being broken up ; but the application of calca- 

 reous manure is always, in such cases, expedient. Sometimes lime is spread on the 

 ground before it is ploughed ; at other times when it is either under summer-fallow, or 

 a drilled crop of turnips. Marl and chalk also have been used for the same purpose 

 with great advantage. The land thence derives additional strength and vigor; the suc- 

 ceeding crops are much improved ; the soil is commonly so softened in its texture, that 

 it may be ploughed with half the strength that would otherwise be necessary ; and when- 

 ever it is restored to grass, the herbage is abundant. 



5278. Wherever the soil is not too shallow, nor of a friable nature, or when the turf can- 

 not soon be rotted, if land is to be broken up from old pasture, paring and burning is 

 the proper system to be adopted. In this way, good tilth is speedily procured ; the 

 damage tiiat might otherwise be sustained by the grub, the wire-worm, and other insects, 

 is avoided, while the soil receives a stimulus which ensures an abundant crop. Where 

 paring and burning, from any circumstance, cannot take place, the land may be trenched 

 or double-ploughed. This is effected by meaus of two ploughs following each other, 

 the first plough taking off a thin surface of about three inches, and the second going 

 deeper in the same place, covering the surface-sod with fine mould ; both furrows not 

 exceeding the thickness of the vegetable mould or other good soil. If the land is 

 ploughed with one furrow, the operation ought to be performed before winter, that it 

 may receive the benefit of the succeeding frosts, by which the success of the future 

 operations will not only be promoted, but most of the insects lodged in the soil will be 

 destroyed. When one furrow alone is taken, the best size is four inches and a half deep 

 by eight or nine broad. The strain on horses in ploughing ley land is mostly from the 

 depth. 



.5279. The rotation of crops to be adopted, when grass lands are broken up, must partly 

 depend upon the soil, and partly on the manner in which it is prepared for cultivation. 

 As a general principle, hov/ever, it may be laid down, that unless by the course of crop- 

 ping to be pursued the bad grasses and other plants indigenous in the soil are extirpated, 

 they will, when the land is again laid down to grass, increase and prevail with more 

 rapidity and effect than seeds chosen by the farmer ; and the consequence must be, a heavy 

 disappointment in the future crops of grass, perhaps solely, or at least principally, attri- 

 butable to a previous defective management. It is necessary, therefore, to enter into de- 

 tails upon this subject as applicable to clay, chalk, peat, loam, and sand. 



5280. Clay. The process of conversion in clayey soils should be commenced with paring and burning, 

 especially where the grub is suspected. The following course may then be adopted : 1. rape, fed with 

 sheep ; 2. beans ; 3. wheat ; 4. beans ; 5. wheat ; 6. fallow ; 7. wheat, sown with grass-seeds. This may 

 seem severe cropping, but is justified by experience when old grass clay land is broken up. If the land 

 has not been pared and burnt, the first crop ought to be either oats or dibbled beans. To do justice to the 

 plan of restoring the land to grass, there ought to be, in all cases, according to the soil, either a naked or 

 turnip fallow, before the sowing of grass-seeds be attempted. But on mellow loamy clay land, consisting 

 of fine old grass pasture, where it is thought necessary or advisable to break up such land, it should be 

 done in detached pieces, so'as to suit the convenience of the occupier, and the following course should be 

 adopted : 1. autumnal ploughing for oats in spring ; 2. fallow for rape, to be eaten with sheep ; 3. beans ; 

 4. wheat, sown with clover ; 5. clover ; 6. clover ; 7. wheat ; 8. rape, to be partially eaten, and hoed in 

 spring, and to stand for seed ; and 9. wheat with grass-seeds. This is a very profitable rotation, and ap- 

 plicable to the best grazing land in Lincolnshire. 



5281. Chalk. Paring and burning is considered in this case to be indispensable as a preparationjfor tur- 

 nips, which ought, where manure can be got, to be raised two years in succession ; then, barley, clover, 

 wheat ; and, after one or two additional crops of turnips, the land may be laid down with saintfoin to 

 great advantage. 



5282. Peat. On this soil paring and burning is essentially necessary. Under a judicious system, the 

 greatest and quickest profit is thus secured to the farmer, with advantage to the public, and without injury 

 to the landlord. Draining also must not be neglected. The crops to be grown on peat soils are, 1. rape 

 or potatoes ; 2. oats ; 3. turnips ; 4. oats or wheat ; and 5. clover or gras.s-seeds. A liberal application 

 of lime, where it can be obtained, is of the greatest service in enabling such soils to bring corn to its full 

 perfection. In the fens of Thorney, the following course was recommended : 1. paring and burning 

 for rape ; 2. oats ; and 3. wheat with grass-seeds ; if the land was safe from water, the Lammas sort, if 

 not, spring wheat. This short course, it is contended, preserves the land'in heart; and it afterwards 

 produces abundant crops of grass. But long courses, in 6uch a soil, run the lands to weeds and straw, 

 without quality in the grain. 



5283. Loa7n. The courses of crops applicable to this soil are too numerous to be here inserted. If the 

 sward be friable, the following rotation may be adopted : 1. oats ; 2. turnips ; 3. wheat or barley ; 

 4. beans ; 5. wheat ; 6. fallow or turnips ; 7. wheat or barley, and grass-seeds. If the sward be very tough 

 and coarse, instead of taking oats, it may be pared and burnt for turnips. 



5284. Sand. On rich and deep sandy soils, the most valuable crop that can be raised is carrots. For 

 inferior sands, turnips, to be eaten on the ground, then to be laid down with barley and grass-seeds. 



5285. According to the improved system of laying down lands to grass, land ought to be 

 previously made as clean and fertile as possible. Witli that view, all the green crops raised 

 ought to be consumed upon the ground ; fallow or fallow crops ought not to be neglected ; 

 and the whole straw of the corn crops should be converted into manure, and applied to 

 the soil that produced it. Above all, the mixing of calcareous matter with the soil, 

 either previous to, or during the course of cropping, is essential. Nothing generally 

 improves meadows or pastures more tlian lime or marl : they sweeten the herbage, ren- 

 der it more palatable to stock, and give it more nourishing properties. 



