80 Remarks on Rotations. 



deretl state, has, in the last ten years, been about L.5, 10s. a ton, 

 and that quantity is usually allowed to three acres of land f and sup- 

 pose rape cake manure only is used, and three dressings given in ten 

 years, the whole comes to eleven shillings per acre per annum. 

 The expense of laying on the manure is a mere trifle. A com- 

 mon waggon carries enough for six acres at one load ; and one man 

 sows by hand, broadcast, three tons of rape dust in one day, with 

 which he covers nine acres, and for which the usual pay is one shil- 

 ling a ton, or fourpence the acre. The Holkham horse machine, for 

 sowing rape dust broadcast, is more expensive than the hand process ; 

 but it spreads the manure more regularly, and is more expeditious. 

 It is particularly calculated for large farms. 



2d Rotation. Cropping for the second class of land. 



A Four and a Five alternate Course Shift. 



The occupier uses his discretion in having any particular part of 

 the farm in a four course, and other parts in a five course, so that, 

 " on the whole, he has not, in any one year, more than four-ninth parts 

 of the said arable lands, under crops of corn, grain, or pulse." 



The four crops on land of the second class, are, 1. Turnips well 

 manured, and all or nearly all the crop eaten upon the ground ; 

 2. Barley ; 3. Red clover, mown once, the second crop sheep-folded, 

 and if a weak crop, the stubble is mucked, or oil caked for the 

 succeeding crop ; 4. Wheat. 



The Five Course. 



1. Turnips well manured, and all, or nearly all the crop eaten up- 

 on the ground ; 2. Barley ; 3. Mixed grasses, mown once ; 4-. Pas- 

 ture ; Wheat with manure. In the nine years, the land is manured 

 three or four times, exclusive of the sheep-fold : and produces two 

 crops of turnips, two of barley, two of wheat, one of clover hay, one 

 of mixed grass hay, and one year's pasture. 



Two years grass' layers upon light land, are liable to be stocked 

 with wire-worms. Where that misfortune is apprehended, it is ad- 

 visable to reece-balk the land in preparation for the wheat crop. The 

 reece-balking, or rib-balking, is done soon after midsummer, and is 

 performed by a common wheel plough with a broad-winged share. 

 The land is only half broken ; the turf or flag in the alternate rib, be- 

 ing skimmed off about two inches deep, and thrown flat on its back, 

 the grass side down upon the unbroken ground. The effect of this 

 practice is, that the wire- worms and grubs creep to the outsides of 

 the ribs, and are eagerly picked up by the rooks. Those sagacious, 

 useful birds, are generally in close attendance when wire-worms and 

 other destructive insects are plentiful. Gamekeepers raise a hue and 

 cry against rooks, pretending, that they destroy the eggs of pheasants 

 and partridges. Those people are generally more attentive to the raising 

 of rabbits, than they are to the preservation of birds ; and the poor 

 rooks are a convenient apology for the deficiency of game. When 

 there are no rooks, the gamekeepers attach the blame to the cuckoo, 

 to unfavourable weather, &c. &c. &c. 



There is no loss in pasturage, from reece-balking two years' layers 



