TO TURN GRASS LAND INTO ARABLE. 2Q7 



benefit to tlie whole of the farm. It enables the tenant to 

 commence the improvement of hi.s land in the most simple 

 and economical manner. 



It will not be desirable to attempt to make thin soils 

 deeper by plong'hing- up the hung-ry rubble or poisonous clay 

 from beneath all at once. If done at all, it shoidd be done 

 graduall}', and each successive attempt be made before 

 winter, to give the land a chance of becoming' tempered by 

 the frost and reduced by atmospheric influences. In spite of 

 Vvhat is said in favour of deep ploug'hing- in the north, it will 

 not answer on all soils, and even on those that would in the 

 end be improved by being- deepened, it woidd not be advisable 

 to do it all in one season. 



0)1 tlie choice of Land to he hrolicn tip. 



Our prescribed limits will not admit of this portion of the 

 subject being- treated at leng-th ; I shall, therefore, only 

 insert a few summary observations. Probably they may 

 not be the less useful for assuming- this condensed appear- 

 ance. 



Lands that may he hro/cen itp. 



Chalk downs of good depth of soil. 



Chalk downs of the depth of 5 or G inches on farms where there is a 

 great portion of down land, but care must be taken not to harass the land 

 with too many corn crops. 



Lands of light, dry, sandy, gravelly, rubbly nature, on a rocky or 

 porous subsoil, with a southern aspect and gentle inclination. 



Large tracts of rough pasture, now of no great value, which are used 

 for rearing young stock, especially that with a clay subsoil, or gravel 

 on a subsoil of clay, which is kept cold and moist through want of 

 draining. 



All cold pastures, with a subsoil which changes to a marly substance on 

 being dried, and which becomes shivery and splits upon being wetted 

 again, and which falls to pieces on being exposed to the atmosphere. 



Strong shallow loams on limestone rubble. 



Dry loams intermixed with clay. 



Deep moist running sands that are favourably situated for turnip 

 culture. 



Lands of modei-ately light sandy nature, but of considerable depth, on 

 porous rock, or on gravel of a considerable depth, on a tenacious subsoil. 



Peaty soils with subsoils of calcareous clay. The clay may be service- 

 able in consolidating and imparting cohesive power to the peat. Gravel 

 will sometimes have the same effect. Peaty soils should, if possible, be 

 converted into water-meadows. 



Very stiff soil, with little surface-soil, for the purposes of field- gardens, 

 to be cultivated by the spade, or in cottage farms of a few acres. 



Heavy, cold, clay lands, which are rendered porous and friable by 



