13393 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



83? 



Was a proper eubject for receiving lirne upon the 

 sward. There was reason to beheve that lime 

 had been applied by a former tenant, but this wa.s 

 not certain. After h.arvegtj we laid on from Ihirty- 

 five to forty bolls per acre, not thinking the soil 

 recjuired a heavy dose. It was partly hot, and 

 partly effete, as generally happens at that season 

 of the year. 



First year, oafs were taken; the crop good. 

 Second year, drilled beans, wuh intervals ojtweniy- 

 seven inches ; the ground being twice ploughed 

 before sowing, and lour limes horse-hoed; crop 

 midilling. Third year, wheat after one. ploughing, 

 which yielded a lull average crop. Fourih year, 

 it was under summer-lallow ; to vvhicli 12 double 

 loads of dung per acre were given. Filili year, in 

 Avheat; cjop excellent. Sixth year, in drilled 

 beans, which were managed as above. Seventh 

 year, wheat ; crop above mediocrity. Eighth year, 

 barley, with grass seeds, after three ploughings; 

 wlfich, though the season was adverse (1799), 

 turned out a decent crop. Ninth year, under 

 grass, which was pastured with cattle, ar.d not in- 

 lerior to any in ihe country. 



It may be olijected, that the above is hard crop- 

 ping. This may be the case ; but we are far from 

 acknowledging that hard cropping.in certain cases, 

 is inconsistent vvidi good I'arming. The expense 

 of lime in general is so great, that a necessity ibr 

 hard cropping may be said to be thereby created. 

 Resides, this necessity is increased by the general 

 shorine5s of leases, which impedes every perma- 

 nent improvement; and, in the usage of lime, calls 

 tor the utmost exertion of the tenanf, that he may 

 be reimbursed his exlrordinary outlay and trouble. 



Field, iSo. 8. — The soil was chiefly loam, though 

 of different varieties, and mostly incumbent upon 

 a close bottom. 



This field, which consisted of fifty acres, had 

 been cropped for time immemorial; and, when 

 we entered to the fu'm, was so tired with carrying 

 wheat, that is was scarcely worth the ploughing. 

 It was therefore laid down to grass vvilh all con- 

 venient speed. In this state it remained five 

 years, when it was broken up again ; thirty acres 

 having been limed ui)on the swa:d, at the rate of 

 forty barley bolls per a(;re. Some of the lime was 

 laid on three years belore ploujzhing, some of it 

 two years, and the remainder a lew da3s before 

 the ploughs entered. Part of it was hot, part of 

 it effetr.; but the effects over the whole field, even 

 in the first year, were nearly the same; if there 

 was any difierence, the ridges last limed fermented 

 most, but the crop was equally bulky wherever the 

 lime had been applied ; though, upon the twenty 

 acres unlimed, the inferiority was evident. From 

 ■this it appears, that it was not necessary to apply 

 lime to grass land one or two years belore it was 

 broken up, as inculcated by several writers upon 

 husbandry; a practice, at any rate, not reconcilea- 

 ble with economy, as much of the liitie is washed 

 oti the surface, and carried away by rain belore 

 the <rrouiid is ploutrhed. 



Field, No. 9. — The soil was chiefly thin clay, 

 incumbent upon a^ bottom of till ; consequently, 

 subject to receive' injury from wetness. This 

 field had been severely scourged by the preceding 

 tenant ; had been injudiciously straightened, which 

 is a fatal measure io such soils ; had been limed 

 previous to the straightening ; but, at our entry, 

 was wholly under crop, and in an exhausted stale. 

 Vol. VI 1-43 



After being summer-fallowed, in as perfect a 

 way as circumstances perantted, this field was 

 laid down in grass, and depastured with cattle 

 for several 5'eci''s- I-iinie (the greatest part of 

 which was in an effete slate) was applied upon 

 the sward during the winter months ; and, in Feb- 

 nrary following, the field was ploughed lor oais. 

 The crop was middling good ; but, in the six sub- 

 sequent years, it did not appear that much benefit 

 was gained from the application. In the eighth 

 year, however, the lime acted vigorously; a small 

 part of the field which remained unlimed being 

 at least 60 per cent, inferior in crop, though the 

 management, in every other respect, had been 

 similar. 



It IS difficult to account for this cessation of ae- 

 tion during so long a period, though it is believed 

 that instances of the like nature are not unfre- 

 quent upon secondary soils. Whether a deeper 

 ploughing had been given in the preceding season 

 which might bring the lime to the surlace ; or 

 whether the original poverty of the soil precluded 

 ihe lime from operating, till it was assisted by a 

 co[uous application of dung, are circumstances 

 not easily ascertained. In our opinion, the lime 

 was brought into action by the clung bestowed 5 

 though it would be rash to state, as a matter of fact, 

 what, at best, is only a probable conjecture. 



Field, No. 10. — The soil was of various quali- 

 ties. Part of it a thin loam, part of a sandy na- 

 ture, and the remainder approaching to a thin 

 clay ; but all upon a bottom retentive of moisture. 

 Alier pasturing the field lor one year, we applied 

 lime upon the sward, at the rate of 40 Linlithgow 

 barley bolls, or 2 !0 bushels per Scots acre. The 

 lime was partly hot; but the greatest part of it 

 was effete, which must necessarily be the case 

 when lime is hutted, unless the huts are com- 

 pletely covered. No dill'erence, however, was 

 discovered in the operation, Ironi the stale in v/hich 

 the article was applied. 



J^irst year — The crop was oats. The season 

 being excessively dry, little benefit was got fioni 

 the lime. 



Second year — We fallowed the field completely, 

 and dressed it with dung, at the rale of fourteen 

 doulile loads per Scots acre. 



Third year — We sowed barley and grass seeds. 

 The crop of barley was very good. 



Fuurth year- — The field was despastured with 

 cattle. 



Fifth year — It was ploughed for oats. Crop 

 excellent. 



Sixth year — V/e drilled the field with pease and 

 beans, after two ploughings, which were managed 

 as already described ; the crop was of great bulk, 

 and produced fully nine bolls per acre. 



Seventh year — Wheat was sown, and the crop 

 was excellent. 



Field, No. 11. — The soil was of an inferior 

 kind of loam, upon a close bottom. The year 

 when this field was last under summer-fallow, we 

 ap|)lied lime to a partol' it, by way ol" trial. Dung 

 was given likewise. We sowed barley and grass 

 seeds. We took a crop of hay, and ploughed (or 

 oats. Ever}' one of these crops was strikingly su- 

 perior, where lime had been given ; indeed, tlie su- 

 periority was recognizable at a considerable dis- 

 tance. 



Field, No. 12. — The soil was chiefly a heavy 

 deep loam; some of it a strong, tenacious red clay, 



