246 OP FALLOWING. 



could be effectually cleared of them, solely by a naked fal- 

 low. Indeed, I have seldom seen a Scotch farmer who en- 

 tertained a different opinion. 



Mr Kerr considers the grand objection to all substitu- 

 tions for a naked fallow on clay soil, to be, the impossibility 

 of eating the crop on the land, or carting it off during win- 

 ter, without totally subverting the whole benefit of the fal- 

 low work, which had been given to that substituted fallow 

 crop. 



Another correspondent, (Mr Wood of Millrig), states in 

 the most decided terms, that naked fallow has paid him 

 much better than drilled crops, the bean in particular, the 

 roots of which take away the nourishment of the earth 

 where the clover-root is fed. The bean is also a great en- 

 courager of the white snail, a determined enemy to red 

 clover.* 



Mr Wight of Ormiston is likewise of opinion, that a na- 

 ked fallow pays better than a drilled crop. He has had 



* Mr Wood, in another communication, contradicts the doctrine, that 

 clovers will not continue to thrive well in rotations of four or five crops. 

 He declares, from many years experience, that there is little or no dan- 

 ger of clover succeeding every fourth or fifth year, provided a complete 

 summer-fallow intervenes betwixt the clovers ; but if green crops are to 

 serve as a substitute for a fallow, he has found, in that case, in the same 

 field, the clovers give way, when they succeeded on the fallow part of 

 the ground, the green crop roots taking away that nourishment which 1*3 

 necessary for the support of the clover plant, and perhaps, being of the 

 same nature, that may have some effect. He could clearly see it is the 

 farmer's interest to make almost any sacrifice to ensure red clover, as it 

 can easily be reduced into calculation, that it is the best crop, when pas- 

 tured judiciously, for nourishing the earth, the roots being upon an acre 

 more weighty than the weight of beef or mutton fed from it, consequentlj 

 it is great gain, when the roots make up for what is taken from the sur- 

 face. It is probably the new earth turned up in the operation of fallow* 

 ing, which renders the clover plant so successful. 



