Practical Agriculture. 
597 = 55/ 
f soil, from rich red loams to heavy soil, and again to stony 
nd sandy lands, the old system of (1) wheat ; (2) barley ; 
3) grass for several years, with only small breadths of turnips on 
je drier soils, has been replaced by the four-course. On the 
eavy lands a good rotation is (1) swedes, turnips, mangolds, 
ith a small breadth of potatoes ; (2) barley ; (3) clover and 
eds, mown once, and then fed with sheep for two years ; (4) 
cans ; (5) white tares, fed with sheep, followed by rape, also 
;d with sheep ; (6) wheat. One course on strong red land is 
1) beans ; (2) wheat ; (3) vetches ; (4) barley ; (5) clover or 
eeds — the farmyard-manure being applied on the clover before 
eans. 
On the high lias formation south-east of the Bridgwater Level Heavy-land 
one-brash and clay prevail. A common rotation on the stone- lotations. 
'rash is, (1) vetches ; (2) wheat ; (3) barley or oats ; (4) clover ; 
(')) wheat ; (6) winter beans. But of late years, turnips and 
ther roots have been more extensively cultivated. One rotation 
; (1) roots ; (2) barley ; (3) clover ; (4) winter beans ; (5) wheat, 
le winter beans being interpolated between the clover and the 
heat, in order to destroy the slugs and give the clover roots time 
) rot. Another is, (1) turnips ; (2) spring wheat ; (3) sainfoin 
)r four years ; (4) wheat ; (5) winter beans. Another is, 
I) turnips ; (2) oats ; (3) clover or vetches ; (4) wheat ; 
)) winter beans. And another, (1) mangolds ; (2) wheat ; 
V) clover, fed-ofF ; (4) wheat ; (5) vetches, fed-off, followed by 
lustard, partly fed and partly ploughed in as green manure ; 
i) wheat. On the heaviest lias clays, the old course of (1) bare 
.How ; (2) wheat ; (3) beans, is still in favour ; though since Sir 
homas Acland wrote his Report there has been a very extensive 
itroduction of vetches and clover between wheat and barley 
ops ; and small breadths of mangolds also are grown upon 
lese clays. 
Gloucestershire is distinguished in physical conformation by Gloucester- 
le Cotswold Hills, which traverse the whole county from south- 
•est to north-east, and by its vales, including the Vale of Eves- 
am, the Vale of Gloucester, and the Vale of Berkeley : sub- 
diary districts being a small portion of the valley of the 
hames, the Bristol district with its coal-fields, and the Forest 
t Dean, while extensive alluvial flats border the Severn, the 
V ye, the Avon, the Isis, the Churn, and smaller streams. The 
ireat Oolite, Fullers' Earth, and Inferior Oolite rocks rise into the 
otsvvold Hills ; Lias clay and limestone, and New Red sand- 
one, are the foundations of the vales ; Lias, Old Red sandstone, 
■ ew Red marl, Mountain Limestone, and Pennant sandstone, 
nderlie the coal districts ; and Old and New Red sandstone and 
Magnesian Limestone formations appear in the Forest. 
