408 



Improvement of Peaty Ground. 



A great deal of wood in the first instance was taken out of it — nay, in 

 fact, is still in many parts where the plough goes a little deep, chiefly 

 oak, I believe, but in some instances maple, poplar, and aspens, all 

 lying in one direction. At the time of the first enclosure, from what I 

 hear, the land was brought into cultivation by paring and burning, 

 sowing with cole (rape), then afterwards oats and rye, which oats it 

 grew of very bad quality, being very light, say 7 or 8 stones the sack of 

 4 bushels, and I believe it nearly ruined the first class of occupiers. I 

 did not myself begin to occupy land there before the system of claying 

 was found out, and wheat had begun to be partially grown. Since that 

 time it has been managed with very great success in various w^ays, until 

 the late unfortunate attack of the wireworm, which has materially de- 

 creased its productive qualities. We have the 4-field, and in some in- 

 stances the 5 -field course, Avhich I consider a sharp dose for any land, 

 namely, 1. Turnips; 2. Oats; 3. Wheat; 4. Seeds mown or grazed; 

 5. Wheat. With regard to the management of my own farm, concern- 

 ing which you inquire, I have occupied a small farm nearly in the centre 

 of the East fen for some years, besides that on which I reside. It had 

 been occupied before I took it by a tenant, and had been all clayed over 

 once at my expense. After getting it into my own hands, the first thing 

 I did (it being very much out of condition) was to fallow it thoroughly 

 and sow it wdth cole, and I had some very fair crops. After that I 

 clayed it again : we usually have our clay-dykes 1 1 yards from the centre 

 of each, taking off the peat and putting on the clay, 3 feet wide by 



4 feet deep, a very heavy dressing, being nearly 300 cubic yards per 

 acre. After that it was sown with, 1st year, Oats; 2nd, Wheat; 

 3rd, Cole with manure ; 4th, Oats ; 5th, Wheat; 6th, Cole or Turnips 

 well manured, and then clayed over a third time the same as before ; 

 and most certainly I had very productive crops, that is, as much as 



5 qrs. of wheat per acre, and from 8 to 9 qrs. of oats, all of very fair 

 quality. I began again to clay the fourth time, but not with the same 

 favourable results, and have only done some little over again, thinking 

 the lands have got quite sufficient solidity ; in fact, some of it is, I con- 

 sider, almost over-clayed, particularly in a season like the present. I do 

 not attribute my getting less produce of late years to the over-cropping 

 of the land, but to the destructive ravages of the wireworm. Still I do 

 consider, on the whole, I have fared much better than my neighbours, 

 who generally have some portion of their land in seeds either mown or 

 summer-grassed. In my experience there never has been so destructive 

 a season as the present for the wireworm — whole fields entirely destroyed, 

 and what was left very much injured. Perhaps I ought to add, I have 

 generally consumed 6 or 8 tons of oil-cake, with about 12 acres of 

 meadow-land hay, to assist in converting my straw into manure. The 

 size of that farm is about 100 acres. I ridged some peat-land for tur- 

 nips one season, with but indifferent success ; and I always find the 

 corn much better and much less infected with the wireworm in the 

 clay-dykes, where the land has been turned over perhaps from 3 to 

 4 feet in depth. We attempt very heavy rolling ; tread the wheat-land 

 with men or women in the spring; but if we have cold, backward 

 weather, all we can do appears of but little avail against the destructive 



