96 THE PRATICE OF THE 



" not indeed allow many fallows on my land; 

 and when I do, I generally fow my fallow 

 " with barley, to which I allow four or five 

 " ploughings. This commonly yields me a 

 large return, and I have a good crop of 

 " wheat after it. 



44 This, however, is not my general me- 

 " thod : for I am very fond of the Hoeing 

 " Hufbandry ; to pra&ife which in fome de- 

 44 gree, is the only infallible way of keeping 

 4 land clean. To begin then with my me- 

 44 thod; I never lay any dung alone on my 

 44 land, let it be ever fo rotten; but as foon 

 " as I get any long dung from the fquire's, I 

 " carry it to my compoft-heap, where it is 

 " mixed in alternate layers, or beds, with 

 44 frefh virgin-earth (if I can get it), lime or 

 44 chalk, lime-rubbim, icourings of ditches 

 " and ponds, turf, leaves of trees, and all 

 44 the dung and offal of my family, of the 

 4< hog-yard, ^ the poultry-yard, and the dog- 

 * kennel. As to my pigeons dung, I always 

 "'* preferve it to mix with foot, and ufe the 

 ' mixture as a top-drefling for my wheat, 

 " whenever it happens to be too backward in 

 " the fpring. 



** But to return to my compoft : I have al- 

 ** ways feveral diftinft heaps of different 

 ' ages, and I fometimes leave it three years 

 41 before I ufe it; and never lay on any under 

 '* three years old. 



" When I have got a plot of ground in or- 

 ** der, I give it a thorough-good dreffing of 



44 this 



