On Manures. 237 



live and industrious farmer ; and which, aided by judicious 

 rotations of crops, can hardly fail to preserve his fields in a 

 constant state of increasing productiveness. It were to be 

 wished, however, that various doubtful points, regarding the 

 nature and effect of manures, and the most advantageous 

 modes of application, were ascertained by a series of expe- 

 riments, tried on different soils, in different climates, and 

 under different courses of crops. Agriculture will never 

 reach that degree of perfection and certainty, which it ought 

 to attain, until that measure be accomplished (* 79 ). 



SECT. V. On Paring and Burning. 



PARING the surface of the soil, and burning the sods or 

 turf thus obtained, is an operation in husbandry, highly ad- 

 vantageous when judiciously executed; though, if the sub- 

 sequent tillage and crops be improper, the soil must neces- 

 sarily be exhausted, and essentially deteriorated. Hence 

 it need not excite wonder, that the utility of this practice 

 has been much contested. The principles however, on 

 which this mode of improvement is adopted, are now in a 

 great measure ascertained. 



In discussing this subject, it is proposed to consider, 

 The soils which are calculated for this operation ; The in- 

 struments used in paring ; The depth of the turf or sod ; 

 The mode in which the burning should be conducted ; 

 The expense ; The season ; The nature of the ashes, and 

 the substances mixed with them ; Their management ; 

 The crops which should immediately follow ; The rota- 

 tions to be afterwards adopted ; The advantages of the 

 practice; Its disadvantages; and the result of the whole 

 inquiry. 



1. Soils. Paring and burning are, in general to be re- 

 commended, for the improvement of peat- mosses ; of un- 

 reclaimed lands, with a sufficient depth of soil; of chalky 

 downs ; sainfoin layers ; and old rough-swarded pastures. 

 With regard to sandy soils, and also those distinguished 

 for their fertility, the practice ought not to be adopted, un- 

 less under very peculiar circumstances. 



Fens, and Peat-mosses. It is scarcely possible to improve 

 fen and peaty soils from a state of nature, to that of profit- 

 able cultivation, and in many cases, they cannot afterwards 

 be continued in an arable state, without the assistance of 

 fire ( Z8 ). The spontaneous growth is so worthless, that it 



