On the Agriculture of England^ Manures, ^c. 89 



ing them to the plough, little less than a sacrilege, and 

 it appears that the opinion is not confined to men of 

 contracted sentiments, for the board of agriculture, in 

 that country, (who, when influenced by the alarming 

 apprehension of scarcity, which not very long since 

 took place,) were induced to make an extensive enqui- 

 ry into the expediency of ploughing up old pastures, 

 and after a course of crops returning them back again 

 to grass, appear to have confined that enquiry so point- 

 edly to the ultimate design of returning the grounds 

 back again to permanent pasture, that information in 

 any other shape was rather too much discouraged. Had 

 the board simply requested information on the best 

 measures which could be pursued, to introduce, at all 

 seasons, a sufficiency of grain and other crops, suita- 

 ble for the consumption and comfortable support of 

 the nation, without diminishing an ample supply of 

 food for live stock, the subject would have been left 

 open, and it is probable, the practice of convertible 

 husbandry would have been recommended by some 

 cultivators, who appear from their writings to under- 

 stand the value of that practice, although they have not 

 considered it advisable to recommend it, being con- 

 fined by the questions of the board, or probably de- 

 terred by an apprehension, that popular opinion was 

 too much opposed to the practice, to admit any hope 

 of attention being paid to their advice. 



When grounds become matted with the roots of 

 old grass plants, it does not appear reasonable to sup- 

 pose them capable of producing crops, that will bear 

 any tolerable comparison with those gathered from 

 grounds of equal quality, which have been recently 



VOL. III. M 



