10 



been formed by a presser for the seed to fall into. The 

 solidity thus given to a clover ley on a light soil must be 

 good ; still, however, I do not think ribbing so good as 

 drilling. 



DIBBLING is much approved of in many parts of the 

 kingdom for wheat. I have tried it, but did not like it well 

 enough to continue the practice. There is a great saving of 

 seed, but there is an increase of expense, besides which, 

 should the summer prove hot and dry, the sun so pene- 

 trates to the roots on our light soils, as to dry them up. 

 Besides which I think the wire-worm is more likely to 

 injure dibbled than drilled corn. It is good for beans ; it 

 lets in the sun to bring all the blossom into perfection, and 

 on strong bean land it does not dry up the roots. 



PARING AND BURNING. It is the general practice 

 to combine them, which I think in many cases is wrong. 

 In the cultivation of fens or heath, it is perhaps indispen- 

 sable ; but in the cultivation of other land, that is not 

 a strong clay, I think the parings should not be burnt, but 

 laid in large heaps, and decomposed by lime, for a top 

 dressing to put on the land when it wants it more than it 

 can do for the first crop. Ashes do little or no good, 

 excepting on stiff clay ; they create separation in the soil, 

 make it work better, and enable the roots of the grain to 

 penetrate more easily in it for nourishment. 



SUMMER FALLOWING. Never having occupied any 

 quantity of land that required it, I do not profess to know 

 much about it. By some it is thought in all cases unne- 

 cessary and that a crop of vetches eat off by sheep will 

 do as well ; I am of opinion that it is quite impossible to 

 get some land clean without it. But I cannot agree with 

 those who say that exposing the land to the sun and air so 

 renovates it as to give it an increased power of production ; 

 T, on the contrary, think the land weakened by such expo, 

 sure; but if it is kept from producing any crop for the 

 whole year, and freed from twitch and weeds (of which 

 should there be any great quantities, they will exhaust as 

 much as a crop of corn), it will of course gather power 



