46 THE SOIL OF THE FAEM. 



fallen into disuse. There is, liowevcr, no quicker or 

 better way of bringing an old turf into tilth. It saves 

 time, and ahvays ensures a crop, and a good one. This 

 is easily accounted for. It liberates plant food from the 

 minerals of the soil ; it purifies, sweetens, and cleanses 

 the soil, breaking up and driving out injunious acids, 

 destroying grubs and parasites cf various kinds which 

 prey upon both crops and cattle, and killing the seeds 

 and roots of weeds ; and it improves the mechanical tex- 

 ture of clay soils. The loss of nitrogen which occurs 

 through burning, will be amply made wp by subsequent 

 liberal management in all cases where the mechanical 

 texture of the soil does not suffer ; and injury would ul- 

 timately result only in the case of a few sandy soils. 



The surface of the land is taken off to a depth of two 

 or three inches by the j)aring plow, or with the breast-plow 

 — a paring tool on a long shaft with broad horizontal 

 T-handles shoved horizontally by thrusts from the thighs, 

 which are protected by wooden shields strapped to them. 

 When the weather is dry, the turf will be ready to burn 

 in a fortnidit. A little straw or wood is taken to becrin 

 with. Then drier bits of turf are put on tlie fire. As 

 the heap burns, more turf is carefully put round against 

 the openings whence the smoke issues. This goes on, the 

 heap continually growing in size, and the burning going 

 on inside, though there never appears any blaze. After 

 the first fires are well lighted, they serve to light all the 

 other heaps, and no more straw is wanted. AVlien all the 

 heaps are lighted, the workman goes from heap to heap 

 adding turf until the whole is burnt or charred. 



A good deal has lately been taught us about the con- 

 servative influence of the living plant, whether crop or 

 weed, on the fertilizing contents of the soil. Nevertheless, 

 as a bit of good practical farming, we venture to recom- 

 mend the practice of ])ai"ing and burning stubbles in the 

 autumn. If set about as soon as the corn is cleared off 



