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more thick fet ftate of fward, wliich is the prolific matrix 

 for corn crops. 



The really iieceflary expcncc of reclaiming and bringing 

 tfcefc kinds of wooded lands into a ftate of cultivation, by 

 thefe means, is inconfiderable, particularly where fuel is 

 dear. Where the timber wood is properly cut down by the 

 axe, and the underwood taken off rather below the furface, 

 the larger roots, and the ftubs which are left, will, in fome 

 inftanccs, more than repay the coll ot the clearing and le- 

 velling the furface. And the other expenccs will be repaid 

 by the immediate produdlion of a pallure ground, the value 

 of which is conltantly increafing without any further charge, 

 until it may probably be worth two or three times what the 

 lands were while they were in the woody condition. 



In cafes where fuel is clieap, and particularly when the 

 timber wood is rapidly fallen, as in the barking feafon, they 

 may be cut off by the faw level with the furface of the land j 

 the ftools and large fuperficial roots benig after that care- 

 fully difbarked to fome inches within the ground, fo as to 

 prevent their throwing out (hoots to injure the furface and 

 keep the roots alive. In thii way the (tools will be fo de- 

 cayed in a few years as to be capable of being removed with 

 little trouble or expence. See Tillage. 



In clearing and reclaiming moory lands where they arc 

 too wet, the firil ftep is that of properly draining them ; 

 they are afterwards brought into cultivation and to their 

 full value by other means, fuch as in large undertakings, by 

 fuitable divifions of the lands into fields proper for the farm 

 or farms to which they are to be laid, and fo ditched as that 

 the furface water may be effectually taken off, without hav- 

 ing deep, open, expenfive troublefome drains in other parts ; 

 the furface of each field being adjufted in fuch a manner as 

 to fhoot off the rain water into the interfering ditches, in 

 order to prevent injury from happening, in that way, fo as 

 to impede the cultivation for any length of time. 



As the furfaces of thefe kinds of land are moltly rugged 

 and uneven, as well as of a loofe fpongy texture, which un- 

 fits them for the tillage proceffes, without previous aflill- 

 ance from hand labour ; where the moory earth, or vegeta- 

 ble mould, is deep, and rifes to the furface uncovered by 

 foffile matters, fome length of time is requifite to bring it to 

 that fohdity andJirmnefs of texture which is fuited to the 

 common arable purpofes. Hence the general principle of 

 improving deep moory lands, where there is no foffile cover- 

 ing, is fuppofed to be the fame as that advifed for bringing 

 woodlands into cultivation ; namely, that of converting 

 them to a profitable ftate of herbage, before corn, crops are 

 attempted to be produced. 



The procefs mull be guided and regulated by the nature 

 and fituation of the traft to be improved. Where the fur- 

 face is very irregular, full of inequalities, and of an abrupt 

 nature, it muft firft be adjufted fo as to admit the means of 

 tillage when they can be properly had recourfe to, and for 

 carrying away the furface wate.'s in the manner already no» 

 ticed. Then to pare off the leffer hillocks and rifings, as 

 the tufts and haffocks which were formed during its wet 

 ftate, and more or lefs of its general furface, fo as to remove 

 the coarfe plants and ftale mould which occupy it, and 

 thereby produce a freihacfs in the whole. 



In dry feafons, when the furface has fufhcient firmnefs to 

 bear the tread of animals, the paring may be done by the 

 plough for that purpofe, but in other cafes by the breaft- 

 plough or paring-fpade. When the furface has been cut 

 over in this manner, and any part has the appearance of 

 being too wet, as may be judged of by the colour of the 

 mould, in fome degree, covered drains are to be formed in 

 fuch places, which may commonly be made in a cheap and 



Vol. XXIX. 



R E C 



durable manner by the firm fibrous tufts collefted from the 

 furface. The reft of the roots and mould which were pared 

 off ihould be burnt, and their aflies fpread evenly over the 

 furface, being immediately raked or harrowed into the foil. 

 At this period of the improvement almoft any kind of foffile 

 material can be thrown over the afhes at a little expence ; 

 and a full quantity of different grafs feeds be covered m with 

 it ; leaving the furface to take on a fward without any fur- 

 ther trouble or outlay of money. 



Afterwards the grady herbage is to be kept clofcly fed 

 down when the weather will permit, firft by (lieep and then 

 by heavier forts of (lock, until the furface becomes firm and 

 the foil is well bound together by the fibrous roots of the 

 herbage, fo as to be capable of affording corn crops in pro- 

 per fuccefiion. 



It has been objefted to this fummary mode of bringing 

 the land into the ftate of herbage, that there are no im- 

 mediate grofs returns for the money laid out in reclaiming 

 and bringing it into the cultivable ftate. But although 

 corn caiuiot be raifed on fuch raw loofe-textured forts of 

 land at firft, potatoes are found to anfwer well, and rape 

 with flill more advantage in its culture, the labour attending 

 it, and the profit which it affords. See MoOR, MoORY- 

 Land, Spring and Surface Draining, &c. See alfo the 

 Invernefsfhire Agricultural Report. 



The reclaiming and bringing lands of thefe feveral dif- 

 ferent defcriptions into a ftate of cultivation and improve- 

 ment is evidently a work of very great importance, particu- 

 larly in a country where the population is getting too nume- 

 rous for the produce, as by fuch means the extent of agri- 

 cultural territory may be juftly faid to be increafed. Ex- 

 tenfive improvements of thefe kinds have lately taken place 

 in Cornwall, and fome other fouthern diilrifts. 



Reclaimixg Plantations and Timber Woods, in Rural 

 Economy, the reftoring of fuch as have grown into a wild, 

 neglefted, and improper ffate from fome fort of mifmanage- 

 ment, or want of attention. The caufes which have a ten- 

 dency to produce this effeft are very numerous, and have 

 been the means of vaft individual as well as national lofs. 

 One material and very frequent caufe is the negleft of their 

 boundary fences ; another is the miftaken notion of its being 

 the beft praflice to leave them entirely to nature after they 

 are once properly planted ; a third is the very abfurd fup- 

 pofition, that nothing (hould be done to thjm for a length 

 of time after planting, in the way of rendering the trees 

 more thin among themfelves, or in their branches ; and laftly, 

 an univerfal careleffnefs and difregard of them, frequently 

 from the narrow conception of expence being incurred with- 

 out the chance of any immediate return of profit. It is, on 

 the whole, much too common to take great care in firft 

 forming the plantations, without ever thinking or taking 

 any fort of intereft in their after-management. But the 

 bufinefs is by no means accomplifhed in the fimple aft or 

 operation of planting out the trees. Good examples of this 

 kind of management are indeed few, but they occafionally 

 exift, and much has been written on the matter, fo that in- 

 formation may be readily obtained. And there is every 

 inducement to get it ; as well prepared, inclofed, planted, 

 cultivated and managed plantations, will far outgrow others 

 that have exifted for a much longer time, but have been 

 otherwife treated, often affording more than woods of three 

 times their length of ftanding. 



In direfting the proper management in all cafes of this 

 nature, fome attention muft be paid to the particular kinds 

 of the plantation which they may be, in the firft place ; after 

 which, the means of reducing them to their appropriate 

 ftates, or to fome other in the moft eafy and convenient 

 ^ X manner, 



