136 MARCH, 



been ploughed up some months before, and covered 

 in the seed with the large two-horse harrow, and 

 as soon as possible closed the soil with a five-horse 

 roll, so that the ground seemed to lie as close as 

 one could desire; but the dry frosty weather above- 

 mentioned setting in for a month afterwards, ren- 

 dered the surface very porous, and the soil was 

 become dry as ashes, arid by far too light for the 

 purposes of vegetation. Towards the middle of 

 April, the oats, by favour of some kindly showers, 

 began to make their appearance, but before they 

 were all fairly out of the ground, the worm seized on 

 the fibrous roots below the surface. The land being 

 at that time not sufficiently dry to admit the use of a 

 roll, I endeavoured to close the lightened soil by 

 treading it with horses. My primary view was, to 

 have trodden the upper part of the field only, 

 the lower side remaining at that time unhurt by 

 the worm ; but in a few days these insects spread 

 over the whole close, and although I omitted no 

 'opportunity of treacling and rolling throughout the 

 spring, the crop at harvest was very slender, as well 

 in straw as grain. From hence we may learn, how 

 hazardous it is to sow such lay ground in the first 

 year after breaking up, with oats, or indeed of crop- 

 ping it with any other grain than either beans or 

 pease; for though, in a very kindly year, such corn 

 may not be totally destroyed by the \\orm, as it 

 turned out in the event, with the greatest part of 

 my oats ; yet there is no doubt but (maugre all his 

 care and pains) the husbandman will then find 



cause 



