262 TO TURN GRASS LAND INTO ARABLE. 



weeds. The soil of this land averages 8 or 9 inches deep, on gravel, which 

 rests on a subsoil of Oxford clay. The succeeding crops on a four-field 

 course answered very well. 



Case 5. 



In 1845, this farmer broke up a piece of land, and for the purpose of 

 ascertaining what would " answer best," he pared and burned the sward 

 of the entire piece, and spread the ashes. He then sowed half of it with 

 turnips, and had them breast-ploughed in, covermg the seed lightly with 

 little more than the ashes, and had an excellent crop. The other half 

 was ploughed twice or three times, and harrowed and dragged, with the 

 view of doing it well, and reducing it to a fine state previous to sowing 

 turnips. The turnips were sown with the land in nice order, soon after 

 the others just mentioned, and he had nothing. The soil was a light 

 darkish loam, inclining a little to peat, on gravel, with a subsoil of Oxford 

 clay some feet under. 



Case 6. 



This farmer, an intelligent man, occupying a large farm, in the spring 

 of 1845, broke up 11 acres of down-land, rather thin soil, on calcareous 

 rubble, and determined to cultivate it in two ways for the sake of experi- 

 ment. He pared and burned the whole of it, and removed about half the 

 ashes to other parts of the farm, which were drilled with turnips. He then 

 spread the remaining ashes, and had about 6 acres of it breast-ploughed, 

 covering the ashes, and shortly afterwards went over it with Croskill's 

 clod-crusher, in an opposite direction to that in which the land had been 

 turned over with the breast-plough, and cut it into squares. It was then 

 harrowed, and the turnips drilled, which are a good crop. After removing 

 part of the ashes and spreading the remainder on the other 5 acres, he 

 sowed turnips, using only half of the seed, and then breast-ploughed the 

 ashes and the half quantity of seed in, and immediately after sowed the 

 remaining half of the seed on the top, and bush-harrowed it in. This 

 portion did net answer anything so well as the other, but the turnips 

 were a better crop than some of his neighbours obtained after sainfoin 

 pared and burnt. 



Case 7. 



In describing how this farmer intends to break up 1 1 acres of land of 

 two kinds of soil in the same field, I shall only give the methods adopted 

 by him on previous occasions, and which have always succeeded. The 

 field he has now under baud lies at the junction of the forest marble with 

 the great oolite, and is in consequence variable, part on rock and part on 

 clay. The clayey part has been well drained. He intends to plant the 

 part on the rock with turnips, and the other part with Swedes. His pro- 

 cess will be as follows : To pai-e and burn the turf in the spring, as early 

 as the weather will permit, and haul away half the ashes to be drilled with 

 turnips on other land. To rafter-plough, and leave it for a month or so 

 to the influence of the sun and weather ; then drag it, to pulverize it as 

 much as possible, and after having harrowed it, to plough it clean, with a 

 slight furrow, and then drill white mustard with a portion of the ashes, on 

 the lightest part, reserving the other portion for Swedes. The mustard 

 will come up soon, and be ready for sheep in about a month after being sown. 



