12 
Agriculture of Nottinghamshire. 
as soon as the turnips are eaten, or during the succeeding month 
of February. This practice appears to some persons open to 
objection. If half the turnip land is sown with wheat instead of 
barley in each year it will, in due time, bring the whole of the 
land to produce wheat three times instead of twice in eight years, 
or during every two courses ; and whether the weak soils of this 
county are capable of supporting the practice permanently is the 
point on which some cautious minds demur. That it is desirable 
lor all land to have as frequent change of cropping as possible, 
so long as such change is attended with profit to occupiers, none 
will venture to deny. The respective prices of the two kinds of 
grain for the time being will go far to determine for or against 
the practice. And whilst farmers, who have made so great an 
outlay on their turnip crop, can, as we have known to be the 
case, grow 40 bushels and upwards of fine wheat to the acre, 
instead of perhaps as much barley — worth only two-thirds the 
])rice of the wheat, and with far less risk of being spoilt in the 
harvesting — they will not fail to regard present profit notwith- 
standing a contingency of future loss. 
The land intended to be sown with barley is ploughed as soon 
as cleared of the turnips, to prevent waste by evaporation of that 
manure which has been left by the sheep, and also its being 
washed by heavy rains irregularly upon the surface. The land 
should then have a second j)loughing before the barley is sown, 
as it is found to ripen more equally after two ploughings than 
one, and also, we think, to withstand the drought more effectually 
if the following summer should prove a dry one. The season of 
sowing seldom commences before the 20th of March, and even 
that is earlier than many will sow, lest the frosts should injure 
the plant when young. The largest breadth is sown during the 
early part of April ; the season continues, however, up to the 
month of May, but the quality of the produce is mostly inferior 
when sown thus late. The most generally approved kinds of 
seed are the Welsh and Chevallier. The quantity of seed sown 
\ aries with the mode of sowing ; if sown by hand, which is the 
practice of many, upon the common furrow, and harrowed in by 
ihe drag-harrow, from 14 to 16 pecks an acre are used; but if 
drilled not more than 12 pecks are necessary. 
Third Vear. — Grass Seeds, or Clover. 
The grass seeds are sown most frequently at the same time 
with the barley, although the prudence of the custom is, we 
think, questionable, and luis not received the consideration that 
it deserves. It is said thai if seeds are sown thus early with the 
l)arley they take so much better than if sown later; and the prac- 
tice is, on that ground, defended, without, perhaps, at all weighing 
