62 AGRICULTURE. 



mer crop, which immediately precedes that of the 

 wheat. 



The objection to the French practice is, that the 

 weeds brought into the field by the manure start 

 with the grain, and do as much harm as the dung 

 does good. Nor is there any sufficient answer, that 

 I know of, to this objection. The English practice 

 is, therefore, much to be preferred ; because, besides 

 the advantage of exchanging a fallow for a summer 

 crop, it permits you, while that crop is growing, to 

 destroy the weeds that otherwise would have infest- 

 ed your fields. 



5th. At what time of the year are manures best 

 applied ? 



The most approved rule on this head is to apply 

 the winter dung wholly to potatoes, flax, and corn ; 

 that of the spring, to cabbages and beans ; and what 

 may be afterward collected, to turnips ; and, 



6th. In what quantity ought we to apply them ? 



The quantum of manure to be applied to the acre 

 must necessarily depend on the staple of the soil. 

 If entirely exhausted of vegetable mould, a great 

 deal will not be too much ; but there is a possibility 

 of erring in this respect, even with regard to poor 

 soils. Where an excess of manure exists, the crop, 

 whatever it be, runs into stalk and leaf, and the 

 effect on the flavour of the vegetable is bad ; a fact 

 which the experience of all who have tasted the 

 cabbages and turnips raised in the poudrette of Paris 

 and London can abundantly establish. Even mead- 

 ows, which are least liable to injuries in this way, 

 may be too much dunged. What cultivator of ob- 

 servation has not seen his cattle turn with disgust 

 from herbage the most luxuriant in appearance, but 

 growing out of masses of manure ? This circum- 

 stance suggests the advantage of going over our 

 meadows in the fall, and breaking up and distribu- 

 ting such lumps of dung as may be found in them. 



The preceding remarks were confined to stable 



