Chap. XIV. THE NEW HUSBANDRY. y^ 



The way to draw a right parallel between them, is, 



1 . To examine whether all the lands of a farm produce, upon 

 the whole, more corn when cultivated according to the principles 

 of the new hufbandry, than the fame quantity of land would do, if 

 managed in the old way. 



2. To confider whether the new hufbandry does not require fo 

 much more expence than the old, as to counter-balance or exceed 

 the profit that may be expedled from it. 



3. To be certain which of the two methods is leafl: liable to 

 thole accidents by which crops are (o frequently damaged. 



To the firft of thefe articles, Mr. Tull fays, that the fame quan- 

 tity of ground, for example, an acre, will produce much more corn 

 when cultivated according to his principles, than if it were managed 

 in the old way. Let the ftalks of the wheat which grows in the 

 beds, fays he, be diflributed over the alleys, and the whole furface 

 of the ground will be as well covered as it generally is in the old 

 hufbandry ; but the ears will be much longer, and fuller of fine 

 plump grain, which will render this crop by much the mofl ad- 

 vantageous. 



It will, doubtiefs, not be readily conceived, that three rows of 

 wheat placed in the middle of a fpace of ground five feet wide, can 

 poffibly, by their fertility, fupply the deficiency of all the refl of 

 that ground on which there is no wheat ; and Mr. Tull may there- 

 fore be fufpecfted of exaggerating the advantages of a culture of his 

 own invention. I will not difpute this point, if it be infifled on ; 

 notwithflanding the great probability of his arguments in fupport 

 of it : but, on the other hand, it mufl be allowed that, in the 

 common way, one third of the land is refted during the year of 

 fallow, and produces nothing ; another third is occupied by grains 

 lefs valuable than wheat ; fo that only one third of all the lands of 

 mofl farms, is defigned for wheat. 



According to the new method, all the lands are fowed with 

 wheat : and though only fourteen inches are employed out of every 

 breadth of four feet and a half, or five feet ; yet, as the roots extend 

 confiderably farther, one third of the whole may be faid to be under 

 corn. The queftion then is, whether thefe rows of wheat produce 

 a fufhcient quantity of grain to make amends, not only for the want 

 of the crop of oats, which farmers generally reckon worth one third 

 of a crop of wheat, but alfo to indemnify the farmer for his 



L trouble. 



