1 6 OF THE BREAKING UP OF LANDS. Part I. 



I. Of Wood-lands. 



TX7 0D was formerly fo common, that people did not take the 

 * ^ trouble to cut it down. When they wanted to convert a piece 

 of wood-land into arable, they fet fire to the trees, and their aflies 

 were thought to afford a confiderable manure. But this operation 

 did not exen-.pt them from the labour of grubbing up the flumps 

 and roots, and afterwards levelling the ground. 



But timber is nov,^ fo fcarce, that great care is taken to preferve 

 it. The flumps are grubbed up, and a profit is found even in digging 

 up the roots. 



The earth is fo thoroughly ftirred by digging up the flumps and 

 roots, that one plowing in rutumn is generally fufficient. The win- 

 ter froils kill the weeds, and break the clods ; and after a fecond 

 plowing in fpring, thefe lands may be fown with expedlation of an 

 abundant crop : for the trees not having exhaufted the earth towards 

 the furface, but having on the contrary manured it with their leaves, 

 a confiderable produce may be expedled for many years. 



M. Duhamel mentions a fmall field, which had formerly been 

 under wood. It produced plentiful crops of wheat and oats for up- 

 wards of twenty years together, without being refted. 'Tis true the 

 foil was peculiarly adapted to wheat, and would have been exhaufled 

 much fooner if it had been a poorer earth. 



II. Of Heaths and Commons. ^ 



TDROOM, rufhes, fern, heath, bufhes, and briars, are the ge- 

 ^-^ neral produce of heaths and commons, which it is advil'eable 

 to burn, not only becaufe their aflies enrich the earth, but likewife 

 becaufe the fire prevents their roots from fliooting up anew, and 

 deflroys the gi'eatefl part of their feeds which would otherwife grow. 



The fittefl time for burning them is towards the end of fummer, 

 when the plants are withered. But great care muft be taken that 

 the fire extends no farther than is intended. 



This care confifls chiefly in clearing away all the grafs on the lide 

 vou would preferve from the flames, for a diflance fufftcient to pre- 

 vent all communication. The grafs that is cut down there, is fpread 

 upon the part intended to be burnt, and ferves to kindle the fire, 

 after it is dry. 



Befides this precaution, a fair day mufl be chofen, when the 

 wind does not blov/ high. By kindling the fire then on the fide 

 the wind blows from, you prevent its fpreading farther that way, 



and 



