74 V 



spectacles at home, galloping on a runaway horse 

 towards a concealed marl pit, deep and yawning, such 

 a one as swallowed up a gentleman of the name 

 of jVI. Ccrtius (a long time ago) with his horse, 

 sword, and saddlebags ! Think, I say, of one of your 

 own landlords racing (like Johnny Gilpin in spite of 

 himself) towards one of your deepest marl holes, in 

 which, if it be full of water, he may be drowned — 

 if dry, battered to death — can you think of such an 

 occurrence without shuddering ? If, after this hint 

 on my part of the horrors which may occor from not 

 levelhng these man and horse traps, they continue 

 open, I shall not pity you if the best lives in youi" 

 own leases should l>e among the lost ones. 



Ashes are a good manure for a crop of potatoes or 

 turnips. In many jilaces the practice of biu-ning the 

 surface for manure prevails in spite of an Act of 

 Parliament to prohibit it ; however there are many 

 cases in which it may }je done with great advantage, 

 as on bogs and heathy hills, in which there is a pro- 

 fusion of perennial weeds. The objection is, that it 

 destroys the surface of the soil ; but where there is 

 too much inert vegetable matter, the destniction of 

 it by fire is beneficial, and the alkah remaining in 

 the ashes is more useful to the crops than the vege- 

 ta])le substances from which those ashes are pro- 

 duced. 



Boggy and heathy land, not worth '2.s. an acre, by 

 once burning the surface, and afterwards liming or 

 manuring -with dung, xmdev htsbandri/-!ike treatment^ 

 has often been rendered highly valuable and produc- 

 tive. It is against the abuse of this practice, and es- 

 pecially against overcropping after%vard.s, that you are 

 to guard. 



All stiff soils, as well as moors, are improved by 

 burning, which renders them less stiif and tenacious 

 of moisture, and when properly done may convert a 

 matter that was stiff, damp and cold, into one, pow- 

 dery, dry, and warm. Where the surface of a bog 



