WASTE. 



in the means and methods of cultivating and bringing them 

 into a ftate of improvement. As there is almoft always a 

 degree of wetnefs in them, which is unfriendly to the culture 

 and growth of all or moft forts of plants which are objefts 

 of the farmer's attention, it is moftly neceffary, but efpe- 

 cially in thofc of the deeper kinds, to free them as much as 

 poffible from the excefs of moiftnefs which is prefent, as a 

 lirft Hep towards their improvement. This is effeftcd in 

 different ways by different improvers of waftes of this na- 

 ture, as will be feen below. After which the furface is to 

 be attended to and rendered as even as may be by fome pro- 

 per means, as the nature of it may direft. It is then to be 

 confolidated and rendered more compact by the application 

 of different forts of weighty fubftances of the earthy and 

 other kinds, and by all other means by which it can be pro- 

 moted. This is particularly necelTary where fuch waftes are 

 of a fungous open quality, and may be effetted by any fort 

 of materials of the above kinds which are in quantity and at 

 hand. In different cafes, fand, clay, marie, and other fuch 

 matters, may be met with under fuch wafte lands, and anfwer 

 the purpofe very effeftually at but little expence. 



There are improvers of wafles of this fort too, efpecially 

 ■where they are of the lefs deep kind, who pare and burn 

 the furface after the land has been well freed from fuper- 

 fluous water, and bv means of the afhes often procure to- 

 lerable crops of the corn kind, fpeedily reducing the furface 

 into good order. 



It has been obferved, that the great point in reducing 

 waftes of this kind to corn lands is, in the firll place, to lay 

 them to dry fo as to favour vegetation, but not fo dry as to 

 deprive the plants as crops of the neceffary moiflure. This 

 fort of medium is, therefore, to be carefully attended to ; 

 as the value of fuch lands is not unfrequently diminifhed by 

 the lafl as well as the firft of thefe caufes. 



This fort of wafte is of fuch a porous and open quality, 

 that if deprived entirely of its natural moifture, it will, it 

 is faid, admit the drought too greatly for the dews to 

 reach. 



Wafte land of this kind, feveral feet deep, is faid to be 

 made capable of carrying natural clover, and other fine 

 graftcs, in fome cafes, by no other means than removing the 

 wetnefs, fmoothing tlie furface, and giving a good covering 

 of ditch fcourings, and tlie mud fcrapings of tlie fides of 

 the roads. 



In fome cafes of waftes of this kind refting upon fine 

 clayey or ftrong loamy bottoms, they are floated away, in 

 cafe a ftream fufficiently ftrong can be procured for the pur- 

 pofe, in the view of the rich foil underneath being reached 

 and brought into cultivation. This procefs and praftice 

 were probably firft fuggefted and had recourfe to by the late 

 ingenious and intelligent lord Kaimes, and moft fuccefsfuUy 

 and extenfively followed out by his fon and fucceffor, in the 

 improving of a very large tradi of low wafte of this fort in 

 the northern part of the kingdom ; which is now made to 

 fupport numerous families, from being wholly barren and 

 unproduftive before. 



In other cafes of a fimilar nature, the moffy material is 

 not, it is faid, floated down by a ftream of water, but only 

 improved upon the furface ; which is done by cutting a 

 large canal or patfage on that fide the wafte next the fall, 

 which is intended to convey the water from the field or land. 

 Smaller ditches are then caft, which form the field or land 

 into ridges, which are made of more or lefs breadth, as the 

 wafte may happen to be more or lefs fohd, but all terminat- 

 ing in the great cut or paffage. The land of the field is 

 next turned over by digging it, and where potatoes are to 

 be the firft crop, they are planted in the lazy bed mode- 



acrofs the ridges ; but in cafe the firft crop is to be grain,' 

 the earth or foil of the ridges is turned over the length- 

 ways of them, or in the direAion of the fmaller cuts or 

 openings. 



It is thought by the writer of the correfted Report of 

 the Agriculture of the County of Invernefs, in Scotland, 

 that of all the different methods praftifed for overcoming 

 this fort of wafte, and for procuring a firft crop, none ap- 

 pears to be fo fuccefsful as potatoes. The mould or foil 

 expands fo eafily, it is faid, that the root gets room to fwell 

 and attain its full fize. The ftem and leaves of the plant 

 retain the dew better than any culmiferous plant ; by which 

 means more nouriftiment is procured, in cafe the foil and 

 fcafon be dry, and the decompofition of the cloddy earth is 

 promoted : while on the other hand, if the field or land be 

 rather too much overcharged with water, the alleys or open- 

 ings along the fides of the beds help to draw away what 

 might prove injurious; and laflly, the planting and cover- 

 ing, with the hoeing and digging up of the crop, work the 

 ground more perfectly into the mouldy ftate. 



It is noticed, that whatever may have been the original 

 colour and texture of this fort of land, it, by being wrought 

 for a few vears, acquires the appearance and fome of the 

 qualities of loam. It, however, takes a long time, if ever 

 It can poffcfs the ftrength of it, fo as to bear a frequent re- 

 turn to wliite crops ; but by fuitable judicious changes of 

 turnips, potatoes, and grafs, raifed alternately with white 

 crops, it may, it is thought, be made to continue any length 

 of time in a produftive ftate. 



Some fuppofe this kind of wafte land is befl adapted to 

 the raifing of grafs ; and that, for that purpofe, more than 

 of growing corn, it fliould moifly be improved and brought 

 into cultivation. Clover will grow in it, if it be fufficicntly 

 dry, it is faid ; and rye-grafs flill better, as it is lefs dehcate. 

 But that the fort of grafs that fuits it beft, is the meadow 

 foft-grafs or Yorkfliire white. This grows clofe and quickly, 

 keeps the ground well, and is equally fit for pafture and for 

 hay. 



In Lancafhire, where extenfivc improvements of this fort 

 of wafles have lately been effedled, and where vaft trafts 

 ftill remain to be improved, the methods of praftice in 

 bringing them into fuch Hates are in fome meafure thefe. 

 In the fouthern part of the diftrict they are firft divided into 

 fuitable fields or portions by large open ditches, fo cut and 

 formed as to be prevented from being forced in by the pref- 

 fure of the water that is contained in the land, by which 

 they are freed of a confiderable part of it. They have then 

 fmaller covered drains formed in tiiem in proper dircftions 

 for taking off more of tfie fuperfluous wetnefs that may be 

 prefent, tlie diftances of which are regulated by the nature 

 of the wafte, and the quantity of moifture that may be in it. 

 After this the furface is levelled and brought into order by 

 taking off the coarfe, hilly, uneven parts, and putting them 

 into large heaps to be confumed in a flow fmothering man- 

 ner, fpreading the reduced materials evenly out over the 

 whole, adding a good full covering of clay, marie, or fine 

 lime-ftone gravel, fome of which are moftly found under the 

 lands. 



When they have remained for fome time in this fituation, 

 they are broken up by a proper plough contrived and pre- 

 pared for the purpofe, by having the irons in a perfeftly 

 fharp condition, and by the coulter being fo fixed as to ope- 

 rate without refiftance. The liorfes employed as the team 

 in the firft breaking up, and fometimes afterwards, are under 

 the necefTity of having pattens put upon their hind feet, as 

 this faves the labour of men, except in particular inftances 

 of very foft lands of this fort. The cropping is fuch as has 

 ' been 



