478 HIRING FARMS. [OCT. 



do with them ; never to be captivated with seeing 

 large crops upon the land ; for he does not see at the 

 same time the expences at which they are raised. 



Peat, bog, moor, and fen, in many variations are 

 very profitable ; but the expences of improvement 

 demand a calculating head. The vicinity of lirne or 

 marie is then of great importance. 



In respect to grass lands, the marks for judgment 

 are different. These are best examined by attending, 

 first, to the circumstances in which they are most de- 

 ficient : and then to such as are in their favour. 

 The more seasons grass fields are viewed in, the 

 better ; though any one is sufficient for a tolerable 

 judgment. 



One evil attending these lands is, that of being 

 too wet ; the signs of which can never be mistaken 

 or overlooked in any season of the year. In winter, 

 it is at once perceived by walking on it ; at all t : 

 of the year by the herbage which generally abounds 

 on it, such as rushes, flags, and a great quantity of 

 moss ; and also by the colour of the grass, which is 

 mostly blue at the points ; sometimes of a dirty 

 yellow hue, and always coarse. If the soil is the first 

 described stifFclay, and the surface level, the evil will 

 be very difficult of cure ; if of the other sort of ( 

 or stiff loams, draining will have gr ~ts. 



Grass fields on gravelly soils are, if the gravel is 

 sharp, very apt to burn in dry summers ; but they 

 give great and sweet crops in wet ones, provided the 

 land is a gravelly loam. A\; absolute gravel should 

 never be under grass. A farmer should not, how- 

 ever, regret having a pasture or two of this sort in 



his 



irr 



