Autumn Cleaning of WJieat- Stubbles. 



571 



of Husbandry, and are set down at not less than 2Z. an acre. 

 Next, if the weather be wet, the work is most imperfectly done. 

 Lastly, even if it be dry, the land is reduced to a dusty and 

 hollow state, unfavourable to the turnip, which on some light 

 soils at least strikes best upon land that has settled down, some- 

 times called a stale furrow. Yet if farmers used to this dilatory 

 proceeding were told that swedes and turnips could be sown 

 after one ploughing, they would smile at the proposal as a pure 

 vision of abstract philosophy. Some incredulity is indeed wise 

 and prudent, nor should any advice be adopted on a large scale 

 without the stamp of experience. I am desirous, therefore, to 

 strengthen Mr. Raynbird's statement by the evidence of another 

 Suffolk farmer, Mr. Bond, jun., of Hacheston, near Wickham- 

 market. His account, which deserves serious attention, is as 

 follows ; — 



In this district the labour of making fallows has, within the last few 

 years, been greatly diminished by the practice of forking out the couch- 

 grass before ploughing the wheat-stubbles. By far the greater portion 

 need only be ploughed once, as a preparation for the root-crop : and by 

 some the lands are sown with rye, tares, or winter-oats. These crops 

 are intended for sheep-feed, and thus the number kept is greatly in- 

 creased. 



" When this practice of growing green crops, instead of fallov/ing, is 

 adopted, women and children are employed to look over the wheat- 

 stubbles directly after harvest (accompanied by a man to see the work 

 carefully performed) to take out couch-grass and docks. This, on a 

 well-cultivated farm, from being made a system of is quickly and 

 cheaply done. 



" Rye is largely sown, coming soonest to feed, and is drilled at the rate 

 of two to three bushels per acre ; the more seed the earlier and greater 

 will be the quantity of feed. Rye is indispensable to the flock-master, 

 and carries the sheep from turnips till grass. A small portion is some- 

 times manured in order that it may come stronger and sooner ; this is 

 mown and carried home to be cut into chafF with straw, and given to 

 the horses. 



" Tares are drilled at from 8 to 10 pecks, to follow in succession for 

 spring feed after the rye is finished. 



"Winter-oats are drilled at the rate of 3 or 4 bushels per acre. 

 They last longer than rye or tares, if fed close (and they cannot be fed 

 too close), when they will continue to sprout quickly till stopped by the 

 plough. On farms where this system is pursued, rye is first fed oflt, and 

 the land ready to plough; then tares ; and lastly, the winter-oats. After 

 whichever it may be, the land generally ploughs up in a friable state, 

 and may be brought to a fine tilth by rolling and harrowing, when 

 globe, beet, or swedes are drilled. If not ploughed by May, the land 

 is generally drilled with white turnips. By some the rye, tare, or oat 

 stubbles are scarified with Biddle's scarifier previous to ploughing. 

 Beet and turnips are grown quite equal to those on land made a lallow 

 of, and worked about m a regular way." 



