NEW HUSBANDRY EXEMPLIFIED. 139 



once ploughing back the ridges into the inter- 

 vals, and upon them to drill the wheat. 



A common farmer finds it very difficult to 

 cultivate clays, or other ftrong, ftubborrrfoils, 

 and concludes that fuch land cannot be drilled 

 with wheat a fecond time, thinking it would 

 become hard and ftale during the growth of 

 the firft crop of wheat, which he finds it does 

 in the Common Hufbandry. But the manage- 

 ment of land, in the Old and New Hufban- 

 dry, is fo different, that the arguments drawn 

 from the Old are often fallacious, when ap- 

 plied to the New : and for this reafon, feveral 

 late writers have erred egregioufly, when they 

 pretend to condemn the New Hufbandry, 

 though not experienced in it. Thus clays or 

 very ftrong land become ftale and hard, while 

 a crpp of wheat is growing upon it : but, in 

 the New Hufbandry, land is never permitted 

 to lie uuhoed till it becomes hard ; and the 

 new crop of wheat is drilled upon the laft 

 years intervals ; which are by deep hoeing 

 kept as fine as garden-mould. The only dif- 

 ficulty is in wet feafons, which require at- 

 tention. 



In this method the farmer obtains every 

 year alternately a crop of wheat and beans, 

 and a winter crop befides of cabbage-plants. 

 Or he may have a crop of wheat every 

 year in iucceflkw, which will require no ma- 

 nure, and only about four hoeiugs: and thefe, 

 together with once ploughing, to form new 



ridges, 



4 



