ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 115 



active state. More than that ; there is a thorough aeration 

 of the soil, a point of great importance not only on account 

 of its sweetening effect on the soil, but from its assistance 

 in the important process of nitrification or the oxidation of 

 nitrogen under the action of bacteria. The promotion of 

 this process is now one of the best recognized uses of tillage. 

 Tillage also has a third effect, it cleanses the ground of 

 weeds, a function but rarely mentioned to us by students 

 of the Science and Art Department. Surely from an agri- 

 culturist's point of view it is almost the chief reason for 

 tillage ; but how seldom do we, as examiners, find it even 

 alluded to. 



A good seed-bed must be clean, fine, moist, and rich. If 

 it can be made to answer this description it is a good seed- 

 bed, and the tillage has been thorough. Cultivation perhaps 

 shows the skill of the farmer more than any other part of 

 his business. This statement may not be true on all classes 

 of land, because there are some soils very easy to manage ; 

 but where we have clay soils to deal with, the success of the 

 farmer depends more on the way he times his tillages than 

 upon anything else. It is therefore of great importance 

 that he should understand the times and seasons at which 

 it is best to till his ground. It is impossible to communicate 

 ich knowledge. It can only be arrived at by experience, 

 few rules may however be useful as guides to those who 

 ive or may have the management of clay soils committed 

 them. One of the first is never to touch it when it is wet. 

 [n the next place, autumn cultivation particularly appeals 

 the clay-land farmer, because if ever clay land approaches 

 the character of light land in friability and looseness it 

 during the period that succeeds harvest and precedes 

 r inter. If ever we are likely to be deceived as to the 

 lellowness or friable nature of a clay soil it is at this period 

 )f the year. Clay lands work mellowly at that time, and 



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