130 On JVild Garlick. 



that I shall not meet with my usual success in my wheat 

 crop; if it does not far exceed that of any oat farmer's. 

 On the pea fallow, I am particularly confident ; and 

 will throw into the scale of competition against me, all 

 loss in the pea crop. Accidents and misfortunes disap- 

 point the best founded hopes. But these alike assail the 

 crops of others, as well as mine. Independent of the 

 views of the subject as they relate to the extirpation of 

 garlick, I am convinced, by long experience, that, with 

 fall and early spring ploughings, more will be gained 

 in the winter grain without oats on the fallow, than the 

 crop of the latter grain is worth, in a general course of 

 seasons and prices. It is in my opinion, though a very 

 common, yet not the less injurious mistake; that the 

 operation of breaking up or ploughing for a winter crop, 

 is the last performed in the fore part of the season when 

 it should be the first. Before either ley or stalk fields 

 (as those are called w^hich have had corn in the pre-, 

 ceding season) are turned up, the garlick and weeds of 

 all kinds grow strong and unconquerable. — They are 

 easily killed, if attacked by early ploughing. It has been 

 my constant habit to plough early, deep, and often. I 

 never sow wheat with less than four ploughings ; and 

 three are the usual number with most other farmers. I 

 have never yet failed to perceive the great advantage of 

 ploughing in the fall. This operation should in general 

 be the deepest, i. e. from five to seven inches ; because 

 the raw or barren earth turned up to the winter, is ame- 

 liorated by exposure in that season without exhaustion; 

 which is not the case with naked summer fallows. — But 

 the fall ploughing of a garlick ley should be shallow, i. e. 

 not to exceed three or four inches ; and it should be 



