36 On Hay-making. 



of its escape from the hay-stack. In the barn, this hot vapour, or 

 steam, is confined in the empty space between the hay and the roof, 

 until it has parted with so much heat, as to be incapable of taking fire, 

 when it comes in contact with the external air, in its escape from the 

 barn *. 



No. VIII. 



ON THE IMPROVED SYSTEM OF SUMMER FALLOW, AS PRACTISED 

 IN THE LOTHIANS, AND ON THE ADVANTAGES OF THE GRUBfiER. 



By Mr Robert Hope, an experienced Farmer at Fenton, in East- Lothian. 



NOTWITHSTANDING the objections which have been urged to the 

 practice of occasionally summer fallowing land, yet its advantages, on 

 clay soils, are now so well understood, and so universally admitted, 

 by the most intelligent farmers in Scotland, as absolutely necessary for 

 the profitable occupation of strong wet soils in that country, and in 

 similar climates, that it becomes a matter of the greatest importance, 

 to ascertain the most economical, as well as the most effectual mode 

 of conducting that important operation : important, in so far as it is 

 well known, that in proportion to the judgment and accuracy with 

 which it is performed, the success and value of all the various crops, 

 throughout the succeeding rotation, necessarily depend. 



In those districts in Scotland where summer fallowing is carefully 

 executed, the ground intended for that process, is ploughed in the 

 winter, as early as may be convenient, when the ridges generally are, 

 and ought always to be, gathered up ; by which means, the whole 

 furrows are laid completely open, and the field, after the cross fur- 

 rows (grips, or gaw furrows), are cleared out with the spade, is left 

 drier during the winter, than it could possibly be by any other 

 mode of ploughing. The next step is, to give the ground a second 

 ploughing, immediately after the spring crops are sown, (it being un- 

 derstood, that the ground is thoroughly dry at the time), and the 

 ridges ought then to be cloven down. The third ploughing, with a deep 

 furrow, is to be given directly across the ridges, by which the soil is 

 so far broken, as to be susceptible of being effectually operated upon 

 by the harrows, which, with the roller, are then vigorously applied, 

 till the soil is so far reduced, as to allow every root-weed upon the 

 surface to be picked off by the hand. After this, that valuable im- 

 plement the grubber, or scarifier, is used with the greatest advantage, 

 as an assistant to the plough, in facilitating the thorough cleaning of 



* In Scotland, shades, raised on pillars, and roofed with tiles, are preferred 

 to barns, with stone or brick walls, 



