OF FOREST-TREES. 291 



away the birds, because of the Fir and Pine seeds, for reasons given ; the CHAP. Vir. 

 second year loosening the ground, and thinning the supernumeraries, &c. v"*-' 

 This is the niost frugal way : or, by another method, the waste places of 

 forests and woods (which by thorough experience is known and tried) 

 might be perfectly cleansed ; and then allowing two or three ploughings, 

 well-rooted stocks be set, cut, and trimmed as is requisite ; and that the 



" and large plantations which afford abundance of leaves, this hint may be the more de- 

 " serving attention. 



" Upon the Norfolk farm, the land not having been yet marled or clayed, the clover is 

 "apt sometimes to fail, which is also the case elsewhere, upon the same sort of land. 

 " When this happens, his majesty does what every other person in a similar situation should 

 " do ; instead of letting the ground remain unproductive, the next year it is sowed with 

 " vetches, which are nearly as valuable as the clover, and wheat always grows remarkably 

 " kind after them. 



" As to implements, the Norfolk plough is chiefly what is used ; and upon a light soil, 

 "it is certainly preferable to any other. It ploughs a cleaner furrow, by completely 

 " moving the whole body of earth, and inverts it much better than any other plough : and 

 " to establish its superiority over the common ploughs of the neighbourhood, I need only 

 " add, that from its construction, it is nearly the draught of an ox easier. There is, likewise, 

 " a Norfolk harrow, very useful for harrowing what is called brush-turnips, or any other 

 " turnips, preparatory to their being hoed. I must be allowed, likewise, to mention the 

 " drill-roller, which consists of cast-iron rings, made at the Norwich foundry, and slipped on 

 " upon a round piece of wood, as an axle-tree. This is one of the best things that ever has 

 " been introduced, for the preparation of the land for any sort of corn, where the soil will 

 " admit of its being used. By the corn being so well deposited, it takes better root, and at 

 ^' least one-fourth of the quantity usually sown may be saved. 



The Flemish farm, which I have before mentioned, was so named from an intention, 

 " at first, of carrying on a system of husbandry similar to that practised in Flanders, which 

 " consists of an alternate crop for man and beast ; but the soil being strong and cohesive, 

 " upon trial, it has been found to answer best under a four-score shift, more like some 

 "parts of Gloucestershire; as thus — first year, wheat; second, cabbage or clover; third, 

 " oats ; fourth, beans. — The quantity of arable land on this farm is one hundred and sixty 

 " acres, or forty acres in a shift. There are two things observed upon this farm, which 

 " may be worth notice : the first is the practice which has, for these two years past, been 

 "adopted, by taking off the tops of the beans just as the blossom is set ; this not only im- 

 " proves the quality, but increases the quantity, and causes them to ripen sooner, which is 

 " a considerable advantage, by giving time to get the succeeding crop of wheat in, perhaps, 

 " a fortnight earlier. The other is, that of sowing clover early in the spring, among twenty 

 " acres or one-half of the wheat, and bush-harrowing and rolling it in. This has produced 

 " a very fair crop of clover the next year ; and the other half, after the wheat, is winter 

 " and spring-fallowec', and planted with cabbage. There is a double advantage resulting 

 " from this ; that one-half of this shift, so managed, becomes a summer crop, and the other 



