On Rural Economy Abroad. 



125 



the work advances. The system of cultivation is to tear up the 

 pasture intended for fallow with the hacken, in autumn, leaving 

 a large rough clod exposed to the winter. As soon as frost and 

 snow have made all hard and even^ 4-horse waggons are em- 

 ployed to carry out the long fresh dung from the yards^ which is 

 spread at once over the land, where it lies exposed till the dry 

 weather of spring admits of its being worked under with the same 

 implement. After some weeks a favourable moment is taken for 

 harrowing, with a heavy brake, and subsequently with the small 

 wooden harrows, which work the couch grass to the surface. Two 

 furrows are afterwards given, and vdiere the land has a sufficient 

 proportion of clay, rape-seed is sown broadcast in the end of July 

 or beginning of August ; this crop is greatly benefited the fol- 

 lowing spring by dusting gypsum over it, about 100 lbs. to the 

 English acre. In July the seed is ripe, and as the v;eather is 

 generally fine, is trodden out by horses, very expeditiously, on 

 large canvass sheets in the field. The oil of this seed, when pu- 

 rified, is without smell, gives a brilliant clear-burning flame, and 

 is universally used all over Germany, in the saloon and the cot- 

 tage. The value of the crop is very precarious, because it is 

 subject to so many contingencies ; the turnip-fly, slug, and cater- 

 pillar, make war upon it when young, and when in flower a small 

 beetle (Haltica nemorum) often eats away the blossom-bud, or 

 lays its minute larvse in the petals, ultimately furnishing every 

 pod with a maggot, which either eats the seed away, or, forcing the 

 pod open when nearly ripe, causes it to fall out. When spared 

 all these calamities it is, however, a very remunerating crop, 

 worth from 10^. to 20/. an acre, especially if there is a foreign 

 demand. The straw is generally burned, and the ashes scattered 

 over the field ; it is sometimes sold to the soapboilers who value 

 it highly. Two furrows are then given for wheat, sown broadcast 

 in September. 



The usual rotation, 10 years ago, would then have been to 

 sow barley followed by oats, and if the land could bear it, oats 

 again, laid down with a little red clover and grass seeds, for 3 

 or 4 years. But agricultural knowledge has much increased by 

 the example of individuals and well-organised associations. The 

 improved rotations are now generally of 10 years, viz. : — 1st year, 

 fallow, well dunged ; 2nd, rape ; 3rd, wheat ; 4th, barley ; 5th, 

 (light dunging) peas ; 6th, rye ; 7tli, oats, sown down with rye 

 or timothy-grass and red clover, which, as well as the peas, is 

 gypsumed with great effect before the dew has left the plant of 

 a May morning. The clover is mown twice for hay, and left two 

 years longer for pasture. 



The means of obtaining a sufficient quantity of manure for 



