680 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 11 



drove them from the place where I wanted to 

 work. 



"In the month of June 1737, 1 begun my im- 

 provements with clearing some of the land near 

 my house. This ground was so poor that no farm- 

 er would even attempt to make any thing of it, 

 served only to feed a few stinted cows, and was 

 over-run with briars, ihistles, and broom, which, 

 being cut up, and laid in heaps, from space to 

 space, were burnt upon the spot, and yielded a 

 considerable quantity of ashes. These were then 

 spread, and immediately turned in by a single 

 ploughing, lest their virtue should exhale. During 

 the summer, this land was ploughed several times, 

 different ways, in order to loosen it, and endeavor 

 to destroy the weeds. I had bought for this pur- 

 pose oxen, which are generally used for ploughing 

 in Anjou: but my horses helped them, especially 

 for harrowing. Here my poor peasants, men, 

 women, and children, were employed to break the 

 clods and pick off the stones; and as I had more 

 dung than my arable lands required, I ordered 

 about half the quantity that is generally used in 

 other places, to be laid upon this ground, which 

 was afterwards sowed at the usual time. This 

 first trial succeeded, and the crop was very good; 

 though most of my neighbors were of opinion 

 that all my labor would be lost. 



"In 1738, I undertook another piece of ground, 

 adjoining to the former, and of the same kind. I 

 began in March, proceeded as before, dunged it, 

 and had equal success. The second crop of the 

 former spot was still more plentiful. This sum- 

 mer I gave a thorough fallow to ten acres which 

 had long been under corn, and sowed part of them 

 with hemp and flax, for a purpose which will be 

 mentioned hereafter. I likewise recruited my 

 vineyard, and drained my meadows. Numbers of 

 day-laborers were employed in cleansing the riv- 

 ulets and brooks which run through them. In the 

 winter of this year an accident happened, which 

 had like to have overset my whole undertaking. 

 'The oxen which I used for ploughing, and which 

 were grown lean, it was supposed through labor 

 and fatigue, were on a sudden covered with ver- 

 min, which eat into their flesh: several remedies 

 were applied, but in vain, the vermin re-appear- 

 ing in a i'ew days. We knew not to what cause 

 to ascribe this disorder which was destroying ani- 

 mals without whose assistance I could not pro- 

 ceed: besides which, the lost would, in itself, have 

 been considerable. They had hitherto been fed 

 with hay only; though the custom of the country 

 was to mix it with an equal quantity of wheat- 

 straw. As I had not yet a sufficiency of this last, 

 I bought some, gave it to them mixed with hay, 

 and allowed them oats from time to time when 

 they had been hard worked. This mended them, 

 a little; but they did not recover entirely, or get 

 rid of their vermin, till they fed on green grass 

 and lay out of doors. 



"I begun this year to make new roads and cau- 

 seys across my meadows, marshes, and rising 

 grounds; for the easier conveyance to and from 

 my fields; the old ways being often impassable in 

 many places. This has been a very long and ex- 

 pensive work; nor it is yet quite finished. I also 

 bought at this time a number of sheep, which 

 have since increased considerably; for not with- 

 standing the great extent of this uncultivated 

 land, where many of them might easily have 



been fed, none were ever kept upon it before. 

 The people of the country though they could not 

 thrive there, on account of the marshes, and of a 

 plant, called white root, very prejudicial to them, 

 found in several parts of the lay-grounds and 

 commons. Most of these weeds were pulled up 

 at a small expense; and the sheep, who were 

 tbnd of this herb, eat up the rest, which was so 

 little that it could not do them much hurt, though 

 some of them were sick with it. The constant 

 feeding of the sheep, and their dung, afterwards 

 completed the destruction of this noxious plant, 

 and brought up good grass in its stead. This 

 shews how farmers may often get rid of any such 

 bad weed. 



"In 1739 I took the next contiguous land, going 

 round my mansion: a method which I have al- 

 ways followed; so that my improvements have 

 been, from year to year, more and more distant 

 from my place of residence. The soil I now fell 

 upon was tough, strong, and only thin grass grew 

 upon it, with here and there a few brambles and 

 other wild productions, which were soon cut up. 

 This ground was broken up only with the plough: 

 some dung was laid upon it, and I sowed it direct- 

 ly with winter oats, which succeeded very well. 

 My improvements of the two last years yielded 

 plentiful crops, not only of corn, but also of hemp 

 ami flax. These last were dressed and given to 

 the women and girls to spin; paying them differ- 

 ent prices, according to the fineness of the thread. 

 They applied themselves to their work, and by de- 

 grees became perfect in it. By this means I ac- 

 complished my design of finding employment for 

 these women and girls all the year round, and af- 

 forded them the means of procuring an honest 

 livelihood, as well as to those whom age or in- 

 firmities rendered incapable of working abroad. 



"The business of the field was always preferred 

 in the seasons proper for it, and when the weather 

 permitted; keeping in my eye Cato's advice, ne- 

 ver to work within doors, while there is any thing 

 to be done without, nor to do that in fair weather, 

 which may be done in wet. I have continued this 

 spinning ever since; and have allotted for the 

 growth of hemp and flax particular spots, 

 which I have inclosed with hedges and ditches, 

 and kept in good heart and with fine tilth. 

 They have yielded plentiful annual crops without 

 being rested; only dunging them every other year; 

 for hemp does not impoverish the ground when it 

 is properly cultivated. My vines, meadows, and 

 ways were not neglected. 



"In the beginning of this winter I gave my 

 oxen hay mixed with an equal quantity of rye- 

 straw, not having wheat-straw enough to answer 

 that purpose. This succeeded to my wish. My 

 oxen continued in perfect health, free from the ver- 

 min I mentioned before, and in better plight than 

 those in the neighborhood, which were led with 

 hay and wheat straw. I have continued to give 

 them this food as long as they lie within doors, and 

 find it answer extremely well. During this time 

 they have no corn, even though they work; and I 

 do not find that this suppressing of their otherwise 

 usual allowance of oats, renders them at all less 

 hearty and vigorous. This quality of the rye- 

 straw may be of great advantage in countries 

 where oxen are used for ploughing. 



" In the year 1740, 1 was obliged to make a con- 

 siderable addition to my number of servants, and 



