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FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 12 



of Ihem required nve double times of the harrow 

 before they were sufFiciently pulverized. They 

 are all neaily water-lurrowed, and ihe cross lur- 

 rows are digged out with ihe spade. I was care- 

 ful to select oats for seed winch were pure and 

 unadulterated. Those purchased were chiefly of 

 tlie potato variety, whicli, in my humble opinion, 

 is fiir superior to any olher, when sown upon fresh 

 and rich soils. Ten acres of the thin clay soil are, 

 however, sown with what is c:i!led Angus oats, 

 thinking that field not in condition to carry a full 

 crop of the other sort. 



A i'ew of the ewes have dropped lamb ; and it 

 being absoluiely necessary that they should now 

 be regularly attended, 1 have ordered the shepherd 

 to remain the whole day, and as much of the 

 night as possible, with them in the field. I pro- 

 pose next week to remove all that are lambed 

 from the old pasture fitld, and to put them upon 

 the young grasses; thinking this the best way of 

 giving a full supply of milk to the lambs. A cart- 

 load of ruta baga shall, however, be given each 

 night, so long as needed ; though I apprehend, if 

 the weather continues fivorable, that auxiliary 

 article may soon be withdrawn, the appearance of 

 the young grass being very promising. I m^an to 

 allot forty acres of grass, in the first instance, for the 

 ewes; which is one acre of grass for three ewes. 

 As the lambs are taken away, this quantity shall 

 be lessened according to the season; but, at all 

 events, I hope it will be in my power to save ten 

 acres lor soiling in the end of July, having found 

 last year the inconvenience of wanting green 

 grass at that period. If I do not need it for soil- 

 ing, the alternative of making it into hay remains ; 

 and in one or other oi" these ways, the grass can 

 be used with advantage. 



The land intended lor potatoes, ruta baga and 

 turnips, this year, is now getting a cross furrow, 

 and stands much in need of a ripping up, being in 

 many parts very full of quickens. Perhaps the 

 fields intended lor these roots may contain 35 acres, 

 or thereby ; though, as there is much foul land in 

 the farm, nearly the like quantity will remain to be 

 suminer-lfcillowed. 1 hope this arrangement will 

 meet with your approbation, though contrary to 

 the one originally chalked out ; which, in fiict, 

 could not be executed in the first instance. You 

 will be so good as attend, that the whole 35 acres 

 that are meant lor turnips, &c. are of soil admira- 

 bly calculated for these crops ; hence, you will re- 

 cognise the propriety of extending their culture as 

 far as possible. By doing so, the liarm will be en- 

 abled to keep a large stock of cattle and sheep 

 next season ; a circumstance of the first impor- 

 tance in every situation, because in no other way 

 can a farm be so speedily and substantially en- 

 riched. Be assured, however, if the ground can- 

 not be prepared in a husbandmanlike manner, that 

 euch a quantity of turnips shall not he cultivated. 

 It is my wish to do every thing well, and never to 

 attempt pushing any plans further than warranted 

 by existing circumstances. The extent of ground 

 proposed to be turnipped and summer-tiillowed, 

 viz. 70 acres, certainly exceeds the work usually 

 performed by five ploughs ; but, as I will get early 

 at the ploughing, and am not to drive any lime 

 this season, I do not despair of accomplishing the 

 undertaking. At all events, I will purchase or 

 hire additional strength, rather than suffer the ra- 

 dical woik of cleaning the ground to be imperfectly 



executed. It is a, material object with every in- 

 coming tenant, to put his land in order as fast aa 

 possible ; and, under the inliuence of this impres- 

 sion, I am led to make an exertion this year, 

 which afterwards, I trust, will be altogether unne- 

 cessary. To dung the whole land proposed to be 

 turnipped and fallowed, will be impracticable ; but 

 as grass-seeds are to be sown with the corn crop 

 which follows, the want of manure may in some 

 respects be compensated by additional pasturage. 



j^pril 18. — The ewes are all lambed, and for 

 several days have been fed entirely upon the young 

 grasses. From 116 ewes, the number that re- 

 mains, (four having died in winter and spring,) I 

 have 153 lambs ; most of whom are healthy and 

 thriving. The grass fields, indeed, are good, 

 yieldinir a full bite ; and, should the weather con- 

 tinue temperate and dry, there is every prospect of 

 bringing the young stock to market in a month, or 

 thereby. We had one bad night at the throngest 

 of the lambing-time, which caused three new 

 dropped lambs to perish; but, if the like occurs 

 again, I am resolved to bring the v/hole home to 

 the stack-yard, where they will be completely 

 sheltered. 



At this advanced period of the season, 1 thought 

 it prudent to take up the ruta baga, and get the 

 ground thereby prepared for barley. After cutting 

 off the tops in the field, which were given to the 

 cattle as fast as they could use them, the roots 

 were driven home, and piled in the stack-yard. 

 The quantity that remained loaded 105 carts; so 

 I will be in no want of green food for the cattle till 

 the season of cutting grass arrives; which, ac- 

 cording to present appearances, will be about the 

 last week of May. The cattle are in a thriving 

 stale ; and after a month's soiling, may be ex- 

 pected to be in condition for the butcher. 



The field which carried ruta baaa, was pre- 

 pared for barley immediately after the roots were 

 removed. It was cross-ploughed first, then har- 

 rowed and rolled, and afterwards ridged up, and 

 sown with barley and grass-seeds. It looks tol- 

 erably well to the eye; though, unless mois- 

 ture is soon received, the seed must vegetate ira- 

 perlijctly. This is a defect which accompanies the 

 system of feeding in April and May, not to be re- 

 moved unless early storing is resorted to. I have 

 sown the fallow wheat-fields with grass-seeds, and 

 given them a substantial harrowing. Part of the 

 land, where the wheat plants appeared loose at 

 the root, were also rolled ; though I know you are 

 not an advocate for rolling land that has lain 

 through winter under the harrow process. The 

 seeds were sown in the same proportion as last 

 year. Indeed, a thick seeding seems at all times 

 advisable. 



Having now finished seed-work, I shall detail 

 the extent of land under the several crops, &c. ; 

 which at one glance will show you the system 

 adopted for this season. The farm is not yet in 

 shape ; therefore, the mode of cropping suggested 

 in a former letter, could not at this time be pre- 

 cisely iijiloived. 



Wheat — after summer fallow - s' -> 38 acres, 

 after beans - "- '*' -"'* 30 

 after turnips - - - 5 



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7 



Barley— after (urnipe and ruta baga 

 Carry over 



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