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VI. — On the Autumn Cleaning of Stubbles. By E. E. Agate. 
Prize Essay. 
Autumn culture is one of the most important questions in agri- 
culture. By attention to this point the tenant is enabled to farm 
his land to the greatest advantage ; to it may be attributed the 
diminished cost of the turnip-fallow, and the introduction of 
supplementary crops in our rotations, two of our greatest modern 
improvements — than which nothing requires a greater display 
of judgment on the part of the farmer, or a more thorough know- 
ledge of the land he cultivates. 
" The theory," says a late agricultural writer, " on which this 
early culture is recommended is, that couch immediately after 
harvest is comparatively weak, and has not extended its roots far 
beneath the surface ; but as soon as the crop is removed, and the 
couch so permitted to grow without obstruction, it spreads rapidly 
along the surface, and penetrates deeply beneath it, and every week 
that it is left undisturbed renders its extirpation more difficult 
and expensive. Tear it up early, and the seedlings are at once 
sliaken out entire from the tender soil ; leave it to strike deeper 
root, and every broken fibre that remains strikes afresh, and 
gaining strength throughout the winter and early spring, gives 
the farmer at that busy season the expense of a second fallowing. 
The advantage of this early preparation is attended with this 
further benefit, tliat only one furrow is requisite in May, and 
the ground not being deprived of its moisture at that season, the 
turnip-seed is sure to vegetate at once." 
The subject therefore may be entered upon boldly, and the 
test of economy be rigidly enforced. This ought to be applied 
by every one who pretends to write upon an art or to put 
theory into practice. It will be our aim to show that there is a 
saving of time and money by an adoption of the system. What 
more important operation in agriculture than the eiadication of 
weeds ? Will any one affirm that he can grow good crops on 
foul land ? Let it be granted that the first requisites to success 
are draining and manuring, we do not hesitate to say that clean 
farming is equally necessary. To begin with the former and to 
neglect the latter, through want of capital or perseverance, has 
been the road to disappointment and ruin. We admit the reverse 
of the picture is true, and an endless amount of labour in fallow- 
ing has been incurred through the neglect of judicious draining. 
Weeds are the insidious enemies of agriculture, and it is to their 
subtle growth that we ascribe much of the inattention to their 
extermination. Tliat slovenliness is too often the rule is attested 
by the state of many farms throughout the country. For want 
