162 On Agricultural Lnprovements in Roxburgh. 



spared for litter ; and it was soon found, that one field 

 thus improved produced more grain, &c. than three 

 such fields in their former state. 



The rotation of crops was now totally changed, and 

 the distinction of in-field and out-field was no more 

 known : a comparatively small proportion of the farm 

 was now under grain crop, and two grain crops were 

 never taken without an intervening green crop ; the 

 greater part of the farm was occcupied with turnips, 

 or with clover, or other up-land meadow, rich pasture, 

 or fallow. 



The old Scottish plough, the only one which had 

 ever been used in the old husbandry, was found to be 

 poorly adapted to the new. In ploughing the old, high, 

 crooked ridges, a straight uniform furrow was not ab- 

 solutely necessary, but upon a level field this was in- 

 dispensable, particularly where the soil was generally a 

 strong clay, upon a substratum of schistus, through 

 which no water could pass. In this case, the least un- 

 evenness would retain the water, and in long continu- 

 ed wet weather ruined the crop. The object now was 

 a square furrow, equal in breadth and deepness, that 

 would stand on its edge, only so much turned as not 

 to fall back. 



The first substitute was a small plough introduced 

 from England ; which, instead of the round sock, and 

 long narrow coulter, had a flat share, a short beam, a 

 short broad coulter, and a mould board cut to a nice 

 curve, out of a solid piece of wood, and covered all over 

 with sheet iron. This plough was easily worked with 

 two horses without a man or boy to drive ; it answer- 

 ed well for a light sandy or gravelly soil, but for a te- 



