390 On Spade Husbandry. 



when they were fed at little or no expense, when their stables 

 were little better than miserable hovels, when the wages of 

 ploughmen were low, and when labourers were not suffi- 

 ciently numerous for carrying on extensive cultivation by 

 manual labour, it is not to be wondered at, that the invention 

 of the plough should be accounted a most valuable disco- 

 very. But now, matters are materially changed ; cattle and 

 horses are dear, their accommodation and food expensive, 

 the implements of husbandry are costly, while labourers are 

 abundant, and their wages low ; hence it has become a most 

 important subject of discussion, to what extent it would be 

 advisable for the farmer, to employ human, rather than ani- 

 mal power, in the cultivation of the soil. It is evident, that 

 in the present distressed state of the country, some great 

 measure ought, if possible, to be adopted, that the unem- 

 ployed agricultural poor, may be furnished with the means 

 of subsistence, by their own labour ; for the other classes of 

 the community, will not long be able to maintain them, with- 

 out having some work in return, and a fatal public convul- 

 sion may result, from such a combination of unfortunate cir- 

 cumstances. 



In discussing this interesting subject, it is proposed to 

 consider it under the following heads : 1. On what descrip- 

 tions of soil, spade husbandry may be adopted, with a pro- 

 bability of success. 2. To what soils it is inapplicable. 3. 

 On the improvement of waste lands by trenching. 4. On 

 the improvement of grass land by digging. 5. On the im- 

 provement of plantations by trenching. 6. On the advan- 

 tages of trenching, for clearing arable lands of weeds. 7. On 

 the improvements which have been discovered in the art of 

 trenching. 8. On the field gardening system of husbandry. 

 9. To what description of occupations trenching is calcula- 

 ted ; and, 10. On the cultivation of arable land by the spade. 



1. To what soils Spade Husbandry is applicable. The spade 

 husbandry is peculiarly calculated for light and dry soils. 

 From the looseness of their texture, they do not require, 

 either strong instruments, or great exertion. Manual labour 

 therefore, is perfectly sufficient for the production of even 

 abundant crops on such soils. It is indeed by means of the 

 spade, that the cultivation of light soils is brought to such per- 

 fection in Flanders. It is there the practice, not only to allow 

 the surface, that has been for seven or eight years employed 

 in the production of various crops, to rest, but to bring up 

 another into action, that has not merely had the advantage 

 of repose, but the enrichment of a considerable proportion 



