OF ROTATION OF CROPS. 325 



therefore tried oats, instead of the second crop of wheat ; 

 and indeed he would recommend, for a light soil, either a 

 rotation of five, namely, 1. Turnips; 2. Barley, oats, or 

 wheat ; 3. and 4. Grass, two years pastured ; and, 5. Oats, 

 or a six-course rotation, where peas and beans will thrive ; 

 as, 1. Turnips; 2. Wheat; 3. Grass; 4. Oats; 5. Peas 

 and beans ; and, 6. Wheat. 



The soil where this rotation prevails is of a dry quality. 

 If such a rotation were attempted on wet soils, it would be 

 advisable to sow oats after the grass, instead of wheat,* 



Upon the trial of a small piece of grass, partly wheat, and partly 

 oats, both close together, Mr Dudgeon of Prora actually had thirteen 

 bolls of oats, and only seven of wheat, per Scotch acre, or 62 bushels of 

 oats, and only 22 of wheat, per English acre. The wheat and oats were 

 both sown near the middle of February, both equally well harrowed, and 

 covered with the mould ; but the former, besides being deficient in quan- 

 tity, was much inferior to good wheat, while other spring-sown wheat, 

 on such land, but not sown after pasture, was as fine as usual. 



I am informed by Mr Brown of Markle, that a great many years ago, 

 he made a trial of wheat and oats after clover, the result of which was 

 clearly in favour of oats. He measured one acre of the clover land, and 

 sowed the remainder of the field with wheat, and in the spring sowed the 

 reserved acre with oats. Each acre of the wheat produced 8 bolls, which 

 he sold at 21 s. per boll, or L. 8, 8s. per acre, whereas the oats yielded 

 14 bolls of saleable grain, for which he obtained 14 s. per boll, or L. 9, 

 16s. Besides, the land which carried oats, was in far better condition 

 than the other. 



Other intelligent farmers, also, object to wheat after grass. Mr An- 

 drew of Tillilumb, near Perth, states, that if only one ploughing is given 

 to wheat after grass, the slug-snail eats it up. This is also partly the 

 case, though it gets several ploughings, unless they are given very early 

 in the season, as thus he apprehends the ground does not yet get time to 

 rot and pulverize, so as to gather that firmness and closeness which 

 would prevent their lodging therein ; and besides, he thinks that there is 

 a something about the ground after grass, which is not congenial to 



