2^6 Mr. William Pitt on ibe 



observations; I shall therefore only slightly touch upon the several particulars: upon 

 fallows some observations are made above ; respecting fold-yard manure, it should 

 alwavs undergo a fermentation before laying on the land, sufficient to prevent the 

 future vegetation of any seeds that may be contained therein ; but it should also be 

 kept as free as possible from the seeds of weeds, and perhaps it is best laid on grass 

 land, applying only lime, or other manures certain of being clean, to fallows ; or if 

 dung not certainly clean from seeds be laid on fallows, it should be laid on early 

 enough to give time to the seeds to vegetate and spend themselves before sowing for 

 the crop. Every one knows the necessity of clean seed to producing a clean crop, 

 but sometimes neglect to apply such knowledge, and indeed clean seed is not always 

 to be procured. Short tillages are universally approved in theory, but sometimes 

 the idea of present advantage tempts a deviation in practice. Weeding of crops 

 is generally imperfectly performed, and likely to continue so in many places, from 

 the difficulty of procuring hands enough for work only temporary; thistles are ge- 

 nerally only cut off, but they should always be drawn up by tongs, and other weeds 

 by hand : the hoe has yet been only of general use in turnips, nor is it likely to 

 extend farther, unless the drill husbandry should be more established, nor even ia 

 its present application can hands enough be always procured at reasonable rates. 

 In the laying down of land to grass, the importance of clean seed is well under- 

 stood, yet the seeds of docks are often sown with clover, and those of other perni- 

 cious plants with ray-grass : in the weeding of grass land, docks and thistles are often 

 mown, or only cut off, but they should always be rooted up ; for which purpose 

 docking irons are formed upon a construction proper enough ; they are, I suppose, 

 every where understood, consisting of a forked or clefted spike of iron, jagged within 

 the cleft, and fixed to the end of a wooden lever; this being forced down by the 

 hand or foot, so as to inclose the root of a dock, or large thistle, will easily bring 

 it up, particularly after rain; but mowing them off, being done with more expedi- 

 tion, is often practised, and they are sometimes left undisturbed, and suffered to 

 scatter their seeds without any effort being made to prevent it. 



Upon breaking up a turf, it is understood here, that unless a wheat fallow or a 

 turnip crop compose a part of the tillage, the land will be injured and rendered 

 fouler, and more addicted to produce weeds ; this notion is, I believe, a just one, 

 though often deviated from in practice for the sake of present profit, and under the 

 idea of cleaning the land again next tillage ; it is, however, well ascertained, that 



