210 
Farming of Oxfordshire. 
but too often the destruction of couch and other weeds is left to 
the sun entirely, and however energetic that luminary may be in 
scorching up all exposed fibres, those that remain inclosed in the 
clods frequently escape his fiercest rays. In seasons of drought 
the fallows are fairly cleaned, but in wet years the case is 
far otherwise. The ground before harvest receives the third 
ploughing, and should be worked tolerably fine for annuals and 
root-weeds to die or be picked off. The land is now ready for 
the manure, which is mostly applied in an unfermented state, 
being carted direct from the yards. A dressing of 10 to 16 
cart-loads is usual, and after the manure is spread, the seed- 
furrow is given, of course in the direction of the ridges, the lands 
being laid up and the furrow cleaned out, for the winter. 
The usual preparation for wheat on clay land in Oxfordshire 
is a summer-fallow. Wheat also succeeds beans, pulse, clover, 
and grass seeds. Not much is sown after turnips, though there 
are sown little patches all over _the county. In consequence of 
wheat having been the least remunerative crop for the last five 
years, the extent sown has most certainly diminished. The 
fallow, as has just been observed, is dunged, ploughed once, and 
the wheat sown on the top ; but on some runny ground it is best 
ploughed in. When the seed is ploughed in, the land is not 
harrowed but left rough for the winter's frost. Bean stubbles 
are mostly manured and ploughed once, but it is found a good 
plan on light land to scarify well and drill the seed without 
ploughing. The cultivator should have on the broad shares, and 
if not done effectually at one turn, another grubbing across should 
be given. Clover and other grass-seeds are ploughed once ; the 
skim-coulter is used, and on all ley-ground great care is taken to 
consolidate the land. In the south of the county wheel-presses, 
or drill-rolls, are used : some are large, and are drawn by four 
horses after the field is all ploughed, while others take only two 
furrows at a time, and these follow the ploughs, pressing down 
the furrows as soon as they are turned. Clod-crushers for press- 
ing wheat land are common, and it is found best to pass them 
over the land after the wheat is drilled. On certain light soils 
sheep are folded after the wheat is sown : on some very steep 
hills, where rollers cannot work, sheep are driven over the land, 
and even horses, without drawing anything, are employed to 
stamp it firm. It was common in the days of Arthur Young to 
sow wheat in the Chiltem or Cotswold districts as early as July^ 
and the seed-time was frequently over before harvest commenced. 
These localities are still forward in sowing wheat, but it is not 
planted now before the middle of September. As the land be- 
comes better farmed the later is the wheat sown ; and on other 
soils the favourite season is from Old Michaelmas to the middle 
of November. 
