ARABLE LAND. 



the name of the different seeds usu- 

 ally sown. As a general rule, it may 

 be <)l)servcd, that Uie smaller the 

 seed, the less it must be covered, 

 and clover or grass seed is not usu- 

 ally harrowed in, but only pressed in 

 Willi ihe roller. 



3. Sltckssion of Crop?, or Rota- 

 tions. — It has been found by expe- 

 rience that, besides the general ex- 

 haustion of humus, each kind of crop 

 has a specific effect on the soil, so 

 that no care or manure can make the 

 same ground produce equal crops jf 

 the same kind of grain for any length 

 of time wiiliuut the intervention of 

 oilier crops, ^\'hether this be owing 

 to any peculiar nourishment neces- 

 sary to each particular kind of plants, 

 or because plants not indigenous de- 

 generate in a foreign soil, tlie fact is 

 certain with respect to most crops 

 usually raised, and particularly red 

 clover. This points out the advan- 

 tage of varying the crops, according 

 as they are found to succeed best 

 after each other. In general, all 

 kinds of grain succeed best after a 

 crop which has been cut before the 

 seed has ripened or the stem is dried 

 up. Tliose plants which have a na- 

 ked s'.em with few leaves thrive best 

 after leguminous plants, which have 

 more succulent stems and more 

 leaves, and which bear their seeds 

 in pods, as pease, beans, tares, or 

 vetches ; or after esculent roots, 

 which strike deep into the ground, as 

 carrots, parsnips, beet-roots, and tur- 

 nips. From this circumstance, con- 

 firmed by universal experience, the 

 different systems of rotation have 

 had their origin, taking the nature of 

 the soil into consideration. 



The Norlolk rotation is, 1. Tur- 

 nips, well manured; 2. Barley ; 3. 

 Clover ; 4. Wheal : by which a suf- 

 ficiency of food for sheep and cattle 

 is oljtaiiied without natural [lastures, 

 and the land, manured every I'ourlh 

 year at least, is kept in a regular 

 state of progressive improvement 



A very common rotation in Scot- 

 land is, fallow, wheat, clover, or 

 grass, fed one, two. or three years; 

 then oats, pease, or beans, and wheat 

 38 



again, if the land is clean and in good 

 heart ; for there is no rule better es- 

 tablished than that of never allowing 

 the soil to be exhausted beyond a 

 certain point, where manuie and til- 

 lage can readily recruit it. The 

 greedy cultivator is sure to pay dear- 

 ly in the end for every crop lorced 

 from the land unreasonably. 



The Flemish husbandry proceeds 

 much on this principle. The great- 

 est attention is paid to manuring and 

 weeding. Mucii more manual labour 

 is bestowed, and tlie crops seem 

 more certain, varied, and abundant. 

 That it is not unprofitable, we may 

 conclude from the wealtli ol the peas- 

 ants, the comfort of the labourers, 

 and the sleek appearance of the cat- 

 tle. From the very interesting ac- 

 count of Flemish agriculture in the 

 work of .Mr. Van Aeibroek, of Ghent, 

 we learn with what great care the 

 soil is cultivated in Flanders. After 

 ploughing lands, every intervening 

 furrow is deepened and cleared with 

 the spade, the earth being thrown 

 over the bed sown. Liquid manure, 

 chiefly the urine of animals and drain- 

 ings of dunghills, is carefuhy col- 

 lected, and is carried on and distribu- 

 ted over the poor tight soils by means 

 of water-carts, before sowing, and 

 again when the crop is come up. By 

 this means such lands are made to 

 yield crops of rape seed, clover, lu- 

 ccrn. flax, and corn, equal in luxu- 

 riance to those on the richest soils. 

 Fallows are rendered unnecessary by 

 the careful destruction of weeds; in 

 short, it is a garden culture on an ex- 

 tended scale. All the land is in till- 

 age, except where rivers occasion- 

 ally overflow, and render the mead- 

 ows rich and profitable. The cattle 

 are mostly kept in stables, and fed 

 with green food cut and brought to 

 them^ by which means one acre of 

 clover, lucern.or other artificial grass 

 will maintain five times as many 

 beasts, or more, as an acre of the 

 best pasture. But the great object 

 is to increase manure, especially in a 

 liquid state, which is careully pre- 

 served in reservoirs, without loss or 

 waste, till wanted for the land. This 



