56 



Burning Land for Manure. 



of the chalk, drawing thence a supply of inorganic constituents not 

 attainable by the ordinary implements of husbandry^ but which are 

 yielded up in a great measure to the surface- soil when the roots, 

 &c., are burned. For preparing the land for burning no imple- 

 ment is so useful as the Dutch paring-plough, with a revolving 

 coulter. The Berkshire shim is also a useful implement for such 

 purpose. The push or breast plough is better adapted to moss- 

 land than any other description of soil. Paring with an adze, 

 called in the West of England a baating-axe," or " raibb batt," 

 or paring mattock, is very generally practised in Ireland, where 

 it is the only method pursued for paring land prior to burning, 

 and is called grafhng in that country. I had an opportunity of 

 comparing the cost of such operation, when accomplished by this 

 implement, in contrast with the Dutch plough ; and although a 

 graffer " cannot earn more than I5. per diem at this work, I 

 found the plough did the business at half the expense ; in fact, 

 this and the push-plough should only be used in difficult or extra- 

 ordinary cases, as horses and ploughs will generally be found 

 least expensive and under the more immediate control of the 

 farmer. 



Sufficient has been said as to the modes of burning land. It 

 may, however, with propriety be here remarked, that, when the 

 surface-soil is to be burned for manure in small heaps distributed 

 over the field, paring by the plough, and subsequently cross- 

 cutting, scuffling, and harrowing the same, will be found the least 

 expensive mode of preparing the same previous to burning. On 

 soft peaty soils the whole operation, including spreading the ashes, 

 may be done for about 125. 6c?.; on clays, or stiff soils, according 

 to their nature, it will cost 255. to SOi". per acre, which will be 

 lound the least expensive mode of fallowing. 



Burning clay in clamps will cost from 4.cL to 6c?. or 8c/. per 

 cubic yard ; burning clay in kilns will cost from Sd. to 9c?. per 

 cubic yard, and 80 cubic yards of clay may be considered a fair 

 dressing per acre. 



Provided an adequate return is made to the soil for the crop 

 taken off after burning, no injury will be sustained by it, except 

 on thin gravelly and sandy moors, much intermixed with vegetable 

 matter, on which paring and burning will be found most destruc- 

 tive, as it destroys the staple of such soils. All such, and sandy 

 soils, should never be burned, except after well weighing the 

 advantages and disadvantages likely to arise therefrom. Generally 

 on such soils the disadvantages will be found to preponderate. 



