Farming of East Lotldan. 



281 



county from the potato blighr has stimulated its cultivation, and 

 at present the profits are so much beyond what has ever been 

 obtained in the cultivation of any other crop that the breadth 

 cultivated will doubtless go on rapidly increasing, even should 

 the present price of potatoes recede a half. The desire to extend 

 the breadth under this root will tend partially to alter existing 

 rotations. 



The great proportion of the clay soils is now thorough-drained, 

 still a portion is undrained, or very imperfectly drained. Where 

 undrained, a plain summer fallow usually commences the rotation ; 

 where drained, the turnip : the imperfectly drained portions are 

 dependent for the raising of turnips on the condition of the land 

 as regards root- weeds, and still more on the nature of the season 

 in the spring months. Previous to the introduction of thorough 

 draining, a plain fallow was deemed the foundation of all good 

 husbandry in the cultivation of retentive soils. Since then, 

 however, the freeing of the land from superfluous moisture has 

 so changed the character of these soils, that not unfrequently they 

 are found to be better adapted for the growth of the turnip, espe- 

 cially the swede, than what were originally deemed turnip soils. 



When land is to be plain fallowed, ploughing is usually de- 

 layed till winter or spring. On very retentive soils it is found 

 that, when ploughed in spring (February or beginning of March), 

 it works more kindly during summer — the roots of the weeds 

 being more easily extracted. In the end of May or the beginning 

 of June, a second furrow, generally across, is given, followed by 

 harrowing, grubbing, rolling, and harrowing, to bring the weeds 

 to the surface. These being collected, a third furrow is given ; 

 after the weeds are gathered a second time, the land is ploughed 

 into ridges, the old furrows being as far as possible adhered to. 

 This ploughing is generally performed in July or beginning of 

 August. After farm-yard manure is applied, the land is ploughed 

 with an ordinary furrow. Sometimes another furrow is given 

 previous to sowing, with the view of incorporating the dung 

 more thoroughly with the soil, and also of destroying any 

 annual weeds which may have sprung up. Where farm-yard 

 mianure is not applied, rape-dust at the rate of 5 to 10 cwt., or 

 guano at the rate of 2 to 4 cwt., is given previous to som ing 

 the wheat. In upland districts sowing is preferred in the end of 

 September ; in the middle districts, the second week of October ; 

 in the lower districts, some farmers have found the largest pro- 

 duce from spring sowing. 



The management of the land intended for turnip is as fol- 

 lows : — Where swedes are to be grown, it is generally deemed 

 advisable to apply farm-j^ard manure to the land previous to autumn 

 ploughing. The quantity applied is from 10 to 16 cart-loads of 

 manure, each cart-load weighing from 14 to 18 cwt. This, after 



