( 148 ) 



Clover is obferved to be effefted, in a certain degree, by 

 the exhaufting power of the roots of trees and buflies; but 

 this forms a fmall part only of the evil fo generally com- 

 plained of, that the land, after a while, gets fick, and tired 

 of this moft valuable plant. That the land may require 

 a change from clover, as well as from every other crop, is 

 readily admitted, yet the frequent failure of that grafs upon 

 the ftiff heavy lands in this county, may (it is humbly pre- 

 fumed) in too many inftances be afcribcd to mifmanage- 

 ment : for upon thofe lands, it is the ufual practice, after 

 making a fummer fallov/, to lay up the land into four furrow 

 work for the winter ; it being alledged (and with much 

 reafon) that the foil is of fuch a nature, as to require the 

 meliorating influence of the froft, to render it fufficiently 

 tender and open, for the reception of the fpring grain. As 

 this land may be more or lefs liable to be chilled and injured 

 with water, the furrows are (hutclofe, and the ridges laid the 

 higher. In this ftate the fallow remains through the winter, 

 and the fpring corn is too frequently fown without previoufly 

 harrowing the ridges to a fmooth and even furface, for the 

 feed to lodge upon. The barley however is fown, the ridges 

 are made the furrows, and after being flightly harrowed 

 acrofs, the field is fown with clover : hence the barley which 

 fell into the furrows gets overburied, and a fick and lan- 

 guid appearance prevails along the top of the ridges during 

 the fpring, and early part of fummer ; and although at 

 harveft the plant of clover may appear both uniform and 

 fufficient, it is neverthelefs in the fpring following found to 

 fail upon the tops of the ridges, and the field too often 

 remains partially barren, during the eufuing courfe of the 

 fummer feafon. 



To account for thefe efFe^ls it is neceflfary to premife, 

 that the feed of barley, oats, wheat, and rye, fhould be 



placed 



