ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. ]29 



are exposed to the rigours of the winter, and there is a 

 general destruction of these vegetable pests. 



Next we have the grand reason for autumn cultivation 

 which overrides all the rest, and that is the beneficent effects 

 of the action of the air and the action of frost, and changes of 

 temperature in pulverizing soils. In this connection I may 

 repeat also the conservation of moisture in the spring of the 

 year, when the ground becomes thoroughly soaked with wet 

 in the winter, and that moisture is conserved in the depth of 

 the porous soil, and becomes useful for growing crops in 

 the summer. These are the reasons why autumn cultivation 

 is popular among good farmers. 



Now the best method of cleaning a field is a thing which 

 ought to be taught, and which does not appear to have 

 received sufficient attention from teachers of agriculture. 

 I scarcely ever find a candidate select a question asking the 

 way in which he would clean a foul piece of wheat stubble. 

 They prefer to enlarge upon the dormant constituents and 

 the double silicates. They do not like farming so much as 

 chemistry. But as long as I can explain tillages with a 

 certain principle running through the explanation, I think 

 that I am teaching the principles of agriculture. There is a 

 principle in the cleaning of land, and I will try to explain 

 what that principle is. Take the case of a foul wheat stubble, 

 which must be got ready for swede turnips next year. Imme- 

 diately after harvest we must get to work ; I do not care 

 whether the steam-cultivator is used or not, but whether 

 steam or horse implements are employed, first cultivate from 

 north to south, and then cross-cultivate from east to west ; 

 in other words, cross-cultivate, so as to hit all the ground. I 

 do not care whether you carry out the system just mentioned 

 or whether you thin plough or pare it with paring-ploughs 



Rr with broad shares, about fifteen inches across the blade, 

 lie object in all cases is to detach the first two or two- 

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