lem 
* NIFS 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
[JUNE 6, 
this sort, the rest of the arable land is gravelly, or 
what is termed in this district, sweet, light, brashy 
land, gradually varying to that of a deeper brash, dif- 
fering from the gravelly in this, that it looks darker and 
more loamy, exhibits an abundance of stone from the 
size of a.pigeon’s egg to that of a man's fist, while few 
of these are seen in the light gravels. It is very diffi- 
cult to plough this land 5 inches deep on an average ; 
indeed it is scarcely ever done in the district. The 
general depths of ploughing cotswold lands are from 
31 to 4} inches, and at no period of the year do the 
plough-irons wear bright, the finer portion of the soil 
clinging with singular adhesiveness to the furrow- 
board, often an inch or two thick ; and it adheres even 
to the share, coulter, and side plate, in a way which 
astonishes practical men who cultivate silicious soils. 
1t will be readily seen from the peculiar property of the 
soil, that the furrow never leaves the plough ina neat 
glazed, sharp-edged form, and when ploughing fallows 
or Barley lands a second or third time, the operation of 
the plough is more like pushing the furrow aside than 
turning it over, and the plough requires constant 
cleaning. Hence the impossibility of ploughing in 
manure properly on such land, unless the vegetable 
fibre is completely destroyed and reduced to an earthy 
state. These faults are caused by the absence of silex 
in the yarious soils of the upper oolite, its composition 
being entirely caleareous. The land just described has 
been valued lately at from 18s. to 30s. per acre. 
2. As the course of cultivation pursued may be con- 
sidered to influence the growth of the Turnip crop, I 
shall briefly state the rotation followed on this farm :— 
3 38acres. Green crop (viz. 32 acres Swedes, 2 acres 
Mangold, and 4 acres Potatoes), with the whole of the farm 
anure applied. One-half of the Swedes removed, and the 
other half eaten by sheep on the ground. 
2d year. 38 acres, Barley with seeds. 
3 38 acres. Clover and Rye-grass made into hay. 
” 
áth y 
5h» hes, and common Turnips, in the 
following res Vetches (one-third mown and 
and two-thirds eaten off with sheep), and 
Turnips, treated with pulverised manures ; 
S etch land cleared previous to the last week in 
July, sowed with common or early Stone Turnip, and treated 
with pulverised manures, 
6th year. 38acres. Oats or Barley. 
From this mode of cultivation the land comes round 
again for the Swede crop, &c., clean, and not likely to 
create much hindrance in clearing it of weeds in spring, 
as it is of great importance that the land for Swedes, 
and the other green crops named, should be early ready. 
I shall only farther add my opinion, that, if another 
38 acres of arable land were added to this arrangement, 
it would be an immense improvement, as it weuld en- 
able the cultivator to pasture one year with sheep after 
the hay crop, and the land would get firmer and much 
better adapted for Wheat ; it would be got earlier in à 
fit state for ploughing up, which is a great drawback 
in taking Wheat the first year. The climate being late, 
we must plough early, and when this is done in time, 
we plough down our finest and most valuable feed for 
sheep ; and farther, if it were to lie two years in seeds, 
the land would be better able to continue the rotation 
for any length of time, 
3. I must now describe the preparation of the land ; 
and this must be considered under three heads—first, 
the preparation after Sainfoin ; second, corn-stubble 
lands ; and third, the Veteh land. 
irst. The Sainfoin plant, in most cases, becomes 
weak or wears out in five to seven years; the lard on 
the surface gets overrun with Couch, and a variety of 
other perennial and annual weeds, and plainly shows 
the necessity for its being once' more brought under 
the plough. In breaking it up, the breast-plough is 
universally used, and the operation of paring com- 
menees early in the spring. As soon as the drying 
March winds blow, it is moved about with drags and 
harrows very frequently, and the quicker the pace of 
the horses at his work the better, care being taken 
to lift the impletment occasionally with a piece of rope 
or hooked stiek, in order to prevent the sods or turves 
being dragged into heaps. This operation is repeated in 
different direetions, until the turves are torn in small 
pieces, and dry enough for burning. The breast- 
ploughers having finished the paring, are now read 
with stout wooden rakes, having heads about 18 inches in 
length, furnished with 6 or 7 iron teeth 34 to 4 inches 
long. Themen collect all the broken turves and loose 
vegetable matter into conical heaps 5 or 6 yards from 
each other. Dry straw, or stubble, is brought to the 
field, and the labourers, or frequently some members 
of their families, put a little straw into each heap, and 
set fire to them. If properly dry, the turves burn 
rapidly, and it is of great donsequence to attend 
promptly to shake up the bottoms of the heaps, and 
throw the outsides into the hot ashes, in order to get 
every part burnt up. As soon as the ashes are cool, 
ke up two cart-loads per acre equally over the field, 
or rather in greater proportion where the land is best. 
This is put to one side of the ground, carefully riddled 
through a half or three quarter inch iron wire riddle, 
and covered over with a few bunches of litter to keep it 
dry for drilling with the seed. The remainder of the 
ashes are then spread regularly over the field. When 
this is done, the ploughs should as early as possible in 
April, lightly rib, or as it is termed in some places, 
rafter, the field ; in 10 or 12 days the ribs may be 
dragged or harrowed down and rolled, if necessary, | 
according as the land is hard and tough, or friable. 
If Couch, or the roots of other weeds shake up, they 
are picked and burnt. The land is next regularly 
ploughed theend of April or Ist of May, from 4 to 44 
| 
inches deep. After lying another 10 or 12 days, it is 
again dragged, rolled, and harrowed, and weeds, if any, 
again picked off and burned. With some people it 
would now be ready for sowing, but I prefer ploughing 
again, in order to bring the land gradually to that mild, 
fine, friable state, which is so essential to secure a plant 
of Turnips. - Before this last ploughing it is highly 
necessary that the land should lie another 10 or 12 days 
after the harrowing, &c., because at this period of the 
season, vegetation proceeds rapidly, and before the 
ploughing is given, the seeds of Charlock, Chickweed, 
and many other annuals as wel ial i 
which it is sown. If due precautions are used to pre- 
vent the crop from being trampled down and eaten by 
sheep or cattle, it may be expected to afford a moderate 
cutting in about 18 months after sowing, provided the 
soil is favourable. The greatest produce, however, is 
usually obtained from the growth which springs after 
the second or third cutting, when the plants are firmly 
rooted in the ground and possess their greatest vigour. 
lt rarely happens to be worth cutting oftener than 
once in two years, but it may be very easily arranged 
80 as to have a separate piece fit for cutting every year 
as p spring 
up in innumerable quantities, therefore this second 
ploughing is of the greatest importance, as it destroys 
every weed which has appeared above ground, and 
myriads in embryo, just escaping from the bursting seed. 
2dly. We shall now very shortly describe our process 
of preparing land after corn crops. As soon as the 
labours of corn harvest and Wheat sowing are brought 
to a close, we.commence ploughing the stubble land as 
deep as it will admit. On this farm we generally go 
about 5 inches deep, and it is desirable that this work 
should be over by the Ist of December, or sooner if it 
can be accomplished. When the land becomes dry 
enough in the spring, it is cross ploughed the same 
depth as before ; and if this can be done in February 
or the 1st of March, so much the better, as the morning 
frosts greatly tend to ameliorate and pulverise the 
urrow. Butit isa very egregious mistake to stir fallows 
on this kind of land in wet weather, for then it turns 
up in tough waxy slices, and when dry withering 
winds set in it becomes cloddy on the surface, and a 
solid cake below, and will require double labour to re- 
duce it. Most likely it will not work mild again for 
the season ; all subseq! ploughing: tinually 
bringing up hard lumps, on which a roller makes little 
impression. If the land is for Turnips or Swedes, with 
farm manure by the ridge, or Scotch system, I drag, 
roll, and harrow in the end of March or 1st of April, in 
order to réduce and thoroughly clean the land, all weeds 
being carefully picked up and burned. The land is 
again ploughed about the 1st of May, well harrowed, and 
rolled again if necessary. It is then allowed to lie a 
week or ten days before the process of ridging and 
manuring commences. lan is a little different 
with the land which is to have pulverised manures. In 
this ease I prefer sowing on the flat, for reasons which 
will be presently given ; I therefore give the last plough- 
ing immediately before sowing. I may further state, if 
the land is very foul and Couchy, as by far the greater 
part of the poorer wolds and cotswolds are, I do not 
think two spring ploughings enough to cleanse them 
thoroughly ; the ground gets so hard below during the 
cleaning process, that ridging cannot be done satisfac- 
torily, and, even if for sowing on the flat, it ought to he 
run over by some powerful cultivator, or get a third 
ploughing. 
Third—With regard to the Vetch land preparing, 
I generally plough first, because if the Vetches have 
been a heavy crop there will be a good deal of stub- 
ble left, which will prevent a scarifier working, and it 
frequently causes the plough to make very indifferent 
work by collecting about the coulter and breast of it. 
In order to make a good finish, it is necessary to pick 
off all these bunches or heaps of stubble, as they pre- 
vent the dragging and harrowing being effectually per- 
formed, Should the land not prove mild and fine after 
the first ploughing and harrowing, I plough a second 
time, harrow and pick off all loose stubble and weeds, 
and then in most cases the ground is in a tolerable fit 
state for sowing. Nothing, however, has a more 
slovenly appearance in farming than to see an attempt 
made to drill a field covered with loose stubble or 
weeds ; the drill is continually stopping to be cleaned, 
or the seed is drawn 20 or 30 yards at a time on the top 
of a bunch of stubble, and consequently it will turn out 
that the seed has not been deposited’equally over much 
more than half the surface. The season for Turnip 
sowing being now near to its close, there is not time to 
let Vetch land lie many days between the ploughings, 
and unless the process of reducing and pulverising is 
aided with eopious showers, the probability is, at that 
very dry and hot period of the year you will be disap- 
pointed in a braird, and therefore ofa crop. Notwith- 
standing this uncertainty of a crop from the first cleared 
Vetch lands, it should in all flock districts be perse- 
vered in, as a crop of Jate sown Turnips is very useful for 
spring feed, especially for the ewes and lambs. Under 
every circumstance, and in all situations, I consider 
that the greater the attention which is paid to cleanse 
Turnip lands, and to reduce it to a mild smooth surface 
by gradual and careful cultivation, the greater will be 
the chance for a crop, particularly from the ungenial 
soils. It must be known to every agriculturist when 
the surface of the land is fine, that small seeds of every 
description vegetate much more rapidly, and also more 
regularly, than when rough and cloddy. It is perfectly 
consistent with reason, therefore, to infer that Turnip 
seed will flourish with greater certainty and rapidity 
where the soil has been properly prepared ; and if this 
very important part of the agriculturist’s duty is judici- 
ously performed, and the land well manured, he nee 
have little to fear for a Turnip crop, or for those of 
other kinds which follow in rotation. 
To be continued.) 
ON GORSE AS FOOD FOR CATTLE, 
(Continued from p, 827.) 
7.—The age of the plant when fit to cut will depend 
in a great measure on its being properly fenced and 
taken care of in the autumn and winter of the year in 
in pp a certain extent of ground to 
be sown this season, 1846, it will be ready for use in 
November 1847, and continue good until the spring of 
1848, when there will be sufficient Grass to render 
other green food unnecessary. Next year, 1847, let 
another portion be sown to furnish a supply during the 
winter of 1848 and'spring of 1849. ^ The following 
season, that which was first cut in 1847 will be ready 
for cutting a second time, and so on in rotation until 
the plants become exhausted and require renewing. 
8. The mode and expense of cutting is neither 
} or costly, rtainly not more so than in 
the case-of Clover when used for the purpose of soiling. 
In faet, I have repeatedly seen Furze treated in a 
similar manner, and mown with a strong, short seythe, 
not exceeding 2 feet or 2} feet in length. This may 
answer very well for some descriptions of Furze which 
have grown rapidly, but it is not suited for general 
adoption, unless perhaps for the first cutting, or where 
great care has been taken to cut the woody stumps 
close to the ground so as to be out of reach of the 
scythe. The best method, in my opinion, is that which 
is commonly practised in the west of England, where, 
instead of the scythe, a 
small hook is used some- 
what resembling a reaping 
hook, but much broader 
of this tool, which in good 
hands is very effective, and 
admirably suited for its 
purpose. From the handle 
point of the blade it mea- 
sures 14inches. The width 
of the blade is about 4 in. 
in the broadest part, from 
which it diminishes gradu- 
ally towards the point and 
handle, where it termi- 
nates in a small projec- 
tion. The handle itself is 
furnished with a sort of cradle, provincially termed a 
mop, made of strong thick leather, with an opening to 
admit the hand, but otherwise arranged so as to effectu- 
ally cover and protect it. Attached to the projecting 
part of the blade is a small double strap of leather, 
called the bridle, extending nearly the length of the 
handle,for the purpose of giving the cutter a greater 
command over his hook, when it is necessary to be 
drawn towards him. The left hand and arm are pro- 
tected by a cuff and arm-sleeve, both of strong leather. 
The former is shaped like a short glove having a divi- 
sion for the thumb, and two others, instead of four, for 
the fingers. It comes up a little above the wrist, and 
fits under the lower edge of the arm-sleeve ; the latter 
extends a little higher than the elbow, and is fastened 
at the top by a small piece of leather and buckle. Thus 
equipped the labourer accustomed to this sort of work 
will very speedily hew down whatever quantity of 
Furze may be required. A hundred faggots are con- 
sidered a good day's work, supposing the Furze to be 
strong and from 24 to 3 ft. high. The usual price for 
cutting is about 5d. to 6d. per score. Each faggot 
weighs from 15 to 20 lbs. ; and when bruised it takes 2 
or 2} faggots to make a bushel. The quantity of this 
description of green food which may be obtained from 
an aere will vary according to the thickness, height, and 
quality of the Furze ; 2000 faggots may be reckoned an 
average crop, and will afford from 800 to 1000 bushels ; 
but in many instances I believe the produce will exceed 
this, and were it to be sold would equal in value 15/, to 
18/. per acre.— M. E. H. 
ON MEASURE RK. 
I.—OCCASIONAL OPERATIONS. 
l. Drainage.—A. man deserving 2s. 6d. as a day’s 
wages, can dig and put into a barrow from 16 to ! 
cubic yards of earth daily. Such is the experience 
of railway contractors. His wages thus amount 
to rather less than 2d. per yard. Knowing this it 18 
easy to calculate the expense of digging ditches. Thus 
aditch 3 feet deep, 7 feet wide at top, and 1 foot wide 
at bottom, contains in a perch of length (163 feet) 
7j cubic yards, and it may be dug for 1s. 3d. per perch. 
These are dimensions proper for an open ditch, but i 
it be desired to save the 7 feet of land thus occupied, 
then a ditch 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide at top, and at 
| 
| 
