184 MARCH. 



scribed, a field of ten acres, which was not then, and 

 has not since been treated with any more favour 

 than the fields adjoining, yet it has ever since re- 

 tained a superiority. 



The Writer of this Calendar, in 17QO, hollow- 

 drained an old grass-field of four acres and a half, 

 of cold, wet, poor loam, on a clay marl bottom ; 

 the rent Qs. an acre, and not worth more in its 

 then state, perhaps, than 7s. In 1791 he plough- 

 ed four acres of it four inches deep, which was the 

 whole depth of the soil, or surface, of different co- 

 lour from the stratum beneath, between that sur- 

 face and the clay marl, and burnt the whole fur- 

 row of the part so ploughed. Having no coal- 

 slack, and wood being dear, he made but four 

 heaps in the field ; the consequence was, the heat 

 and degree of calcination were far beyond what is 

 ever practised in common, and many persons who 

 knew and approved of paring and burning in the 

 common way, pronounced the field completely 

 ruined. The ashes were spread, and ploughed in 

 with a shallow furrow, and turnip-seed sown, and 

 very slightly bush-harrowed. The crop was very 

 fine, worth, to sell for feeding on the land, at least 

 50s. an acre. The crop on the burnt part double 

 to that of the half acre. 



After feeding them with sheep, the land was 

 ploughed thrice, and sown with oats and grasses. 

 The oats produced above seven quarters an acre, 

 and the grass has ever since been much better worth 

 20B, an acre, than it was worth 5s, before. The 



