30] A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



sound and dry enough for turnips ; if too cold or wet, they require 

 occasional summer fallows ; for when such land is getting foul and 

 stubborn, it is the only mode to recover it, and is certain to make 

 a grateful return for the indulgence. Such fallows should be 

 ploughed up between Michaelmas and Candlemas, and cross- 

 ploughed and well worked in summer, manuring with lime or muck : 

 farm-yard muck is best laid on fallows not too much reduced. After 

 one turning, or when fresh from the fold-yard, spread it immedi- 

 ately, and plough it in. It dresses more land, and meliorates the 

 soil better, than when too much reduced. The couch-grasses are 

 best destroyed by a complete summer fallow, as well as thistles, 

 and the seedling weeds and coltsfoot by early spring culture. The 

 usual culture of the mixed soils is, first, fallow as above, with at 

 least four ploughings ; second, wheat ; third, the wheat-stubble 

 pin-fallowed in autumn, and laid dry, cross-ploughed in March/and 

 harrowed down, then ploughed up, and sown with barley in April, 

 together with clover and other seeds, and then lying two or more 

 years at grass. When ploughed up again, oats may be sown on the 

 turf, and if the land be clean, you may manure the oat-stubble at 

 Michaelmas, plough and sow winter vetches, to be eaten or cleared 

 off the ground time enough for a short fallow for wheat. Pease 

 drilled in rows, and well hoed, may succeed fallow-wheat, and barley 

 after the pease, and clover and grass-seeds for two years' pasture, 

 as before. 



3. The light sandy or gravelly soils, adapted to turnips. On 

 this sort of land the Norfolk system of, 1. turnips ; 2. barley ; 3. 

 clover ; 4. wheat ; has been long well known and practised. Some 

 farmers having observed that the same crop every four years is 

 hard tillage, and tires the land, have given it two years' rest under 

 the seeds, and sown the wheat upon a two-year old ley with success ; 

 or pease may be drilled in rows upon ploughing up the ley, and well 

 cleaned by the hoe, to be followed by, 2. wheat ; 3. turnips ; 4. 

 barley, with seeds, and then clover and pasture during pleasure. 

 The land in preparation for turnips, must have at least four plough- 

 ings, and sufficient harrowings between. The first ploughing should 

 be soon after harvest, and if possible the land should be laid up in 

 one-bout ridges before Christmas ; the second should be in March, 

 and the land well harrowed down ; the third in May, and the fourth 

 at sowing ; or if the stubble could be ploughed up immediately after 

 harvest, turnip seed and a little rye might be sown and harrowed in 

 upon such ploughing ; but, if the growth be worth it, it might re- 





