AGRICULTURE. 



the extremes of wet and dry are particu- 

 larly inimical to vegetation, the seasons 

 for its exercise are often short and critical. 



As vigorous plants, such as are produ- 

 ced by this system, require a longer pe- 

 riod for attaining maturity, the corn thus 

 cultivated must be sown earlier than in 

 the usual mode. The intervals are usu- 

 ally prepared for sowing again, by pla- 

 cing some well-rotted dung in the deep 

 furrows made in the middle of them, and 

 this dung must be covered by the earth 

 before thrown towards the rows of wheat. 

 This should be performed immediately 

 after harvest, that, before the rows are 

 sowed, there may be time for slightly 

 stirring the land. The intervals of the 

 second year occupy the place taken up 

 by the stubble of the preceding. 



The banishment of the plough in 

 spring, to as great a degree as possible, 

 has taken place, in consequence of this 

 most useful and happy innovation. All 

 peas and beans, barley and oats, not only 

 may be put in on an autumnal ploughing, 

 but actually are so in many parts of the 

 country (especially in Suffolk,) the stitch- 

 es in this ploughing being carefully 

 thrown to the precise breadth, suited to 

 the intention of the farmer, whether to 

 use only one movement of the drill, or 

 what is usually denominated a bout of it; 

 on which subject opinions differ. By the 

 winter frosts a friability is given to the 

 surface of the soil, so great, that very 

 early in the spring, after one scarifying 

 and harrowing, the corn may be drilled, 

 and without a horse-foot treading any 

 where but in the stitch furrows, where it 

 can do no injury. Instead of losing this 

 admirable gift of the atmosphere (which 

 cannot be renewed,) as was done by the 

 former practice of at least two spring 

 ploughings, it is thus completely preser- 

 ved, and the delay, expense, and vexa- 

 tion, occasioned to the farmer, by the suc- 

 cession of rains and north-easterly winds, 

 giving the dreadful alternative of mire 

 and clods, are wholly avoided. 



From a comparative estimate of the 

 profits attending the different modes of 

 husbandry, that of the new is stated, 

 after various experiments, to be very 

 nearly in the proportion of three to two: 

 and making the utmost allowance for the 

 influence, by which the sanguine tempe- 

 rament of the partizan will interfere with 

 the dispassionate calculations of philoso- 

 phy, the advantage on the side of profit 

 is indisputably and greatly with the mo- 

 dern system. It is also to be observed, 

 that most of the accidents attending 



crops of wheat originate in their being 

 late sown, which, on the old plan, is una- 

 voidable ; whereas, in the new method, 

 the farmer may plough the furrows for 

 the next crop as soon us ever the first is 

 removed. The ground may be ploughed 

 dry, and may be drilled wet. The seed, 

 moreover, is not planted under the fur- 

 rows, but at the precisely proper depth. 

 The seed has all the advantage of early 

 sowing, therefore, and the crop is more 

 certain than by any other mode. The 

 land, also, is much less exhausted by this 

 method, the weeds being completely de- 

 stroyed by the hoe, and none of the plants 

 existing to draw nutriment from the 

 ground but what attain their full matu- 

 rity ; whereas in the usual practice seeds 

 are permitted inevitably to impoverish, 

 and three-fourths of the plants them- 

 selves, after having derived a certain and 

 a considerable portion of vegetable food 

 from the soil, perish abortively. The 

 state of the land, therefore, must neces- 

 sarily and obviously be left far better by 

 the new mode than by the old. 



The practice of drill-husbandry has 

 been justly remarked to be the manage- 

 ment of the garden brought into the 

 field ; and the grand question relating to 

 it is, whether the extraordinary expence 

 of this finer cultivation be compensated 

 by the superior quality or abundance of 

 its crop ? which the most sagacious and 

 experienced judges have determined in 

 the affirmative. 



Even admitting, for a moment, after all, 

 that the practice is not, on the whole, su- 

 perior, or equal, to the old mode, its in- 

 troduction has at least been highly ser- 

 viceable in correcting and refining the 

 old method of cultivation, and some of 

 the reputation of the new one may un- 

 doubtedly be allowed to have arisen from 

 a comparison with slovenly and defective 

 methods upon the old plan. 



With regard to white crops, there are 

 many practitioners of liberality and sense 

 who reject this practice, although, with 

 respect to potatoes, cabbages, beans, and 

 often turnips also, it is admitted by them 

 to be unexceptionable. On a soil, how- 

 ever, in which the drill machine can move 

 with freedom, there appears no reason, 

 and it may be almost said no excuse, for 

 the rejection of the modern system, 

 which, indeed, however recently it may 

 have been introduced into this country, 

 is practised in every part of China, and is 

 used also by the inhabitants of the Carna- 

 tic, and, from the decided aversion of 

 these nations to innovation, may naturally 



