

AND PROTECTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND. 37 



to 



vn 



somewhat increased by the soil taken from the channels being 

 spread about. By this time several brackish plants, partly of 

 maritime and partly of a fresh water nature will have 

 appeared, and partially covered the surface ; these may be grazed 



advantage, and as the surface soil freshens, it may be har- 

 rowed, and Dutch clover and rye grass may be sown and 

 rolled in, wherever the absence of other plants may allow 

 of them ; first, however, bestowing but a small quantity of 

 seed by way of experiment, and increasing this as success 

 may encourage from time to time. In a period varying from 

 three to seven years, according to the tenacity of the soil and 

 its height above the tide, the level will be fit to bear corn 

 and pulse. If its surface be coarse and uneven, and its soil 

 tenacious and stubborn, or what is called marsh clay, it may 

 be judicious to dig it over and level it at the same time, pre- 

 serving, however, the channels 'already dug; taking in the 

 first instance a crop of rape, which might judiciously constitute 

 the first crop, and may either be saved for seed or fed off, and 

 be succeeded in either case by oats, beans, and wheat ; but even 

 after the digging of such soils, they will require much tillage, 

 so as to thoroughly mix and pulverise them, and the bean crop 

 should be repeatedly well hoed and weeded. With good treat- 

 ent, however, such soils bear heavy crops of wheat and beans 



succession, and when some degree of exhaustion calls for 

 relaxation of cropping, the course of fallow, oats, clover, wheat, 

 , will give all the produce that can reasonably be expected 



m any land, the crops very commonly grown on .good soils 



this kind being eight or ten quarters per acre of oats, four 

 to six quarters per acre of wheat, and about the same of beans. 



