190 Advantage of very Shalloto Cultivation. 
the 12th of May I remove the sheep from No. 5 to No. 6. 1 
have always considered the crop of seed to be nearly as much, 
and the quality better, than if it had not been stocked from the 
manure left, and the land being firmed by the treading of the 
sheep. Indeed, were this field. No. 5, to produce nothing more 
than the early food spoken of, so valuable have I found it, that I 
believe it already nearly to have paid its rent ; but in addition to 
this it affords me a crop of seed, the straw of which is consumed 
by the stock ewes during the winter when on turnips ; and from 
the clover seed sown with the grass, food is obtained the same 
year after the seed has been carried ; and again the following 
year is fit to be stocked after the early spring feed of No. 5 has 
been consumed, and upon which. No. 6, the sheep are now placed, 
where they remain till the vetches of No. 3 are fit to hurdle ; 
upon which, with the assistance of the lattermath of Nos. 5 and 
6, I am enabled to keep them till the early turnips of No. 1 are 
again fit to begin. 
By this mode of management an economical system is followed 
up through the whole course, by being nearly all performed by 
manual labour, by which means a remunerating crop will be pro- 
duced and the land always kept firm, which is the only difficulty 
to be overcome on this description of soil. The farm, when first 
taken by me, was wet ; as much out of condition, and as light and 
weak as it well could be, parts of it being merely held together 
by the roots of grass and weeds natural to moory land, but which 
must be very prejudicial to the production of those crops that are 
to benefit the farmer. 
1 commenced by draining, and then pursued the foregoing sys- 
tem of cultivation, by which my most sanguine expectations have 
been realized, though I was told that the land would be too light 
and too poor to plant wheat after turnips. I have never found 
any ill effects from paring and burning, experience having taught 
me that it produces a manure particularly beneficial to the growth 
of turnips ; thereby enabling me to firm the land by sheep ; for 
were other means used to destroy the turf of the second year's 
seeds, No. 6, they would seriously injure and weaken the soil, and 
cause much difficulty in raising the turnip crop, which difficulty I 
appear now to have overcome, although I plant them twice during 
the course ; and were the turf not destroyed the effects would be 
equally injurious. 
1 rent another farm of 400 acres, half of which is a weak soil 
upon a subsoil of gravel with veins of clay, the remaining half is 
stone brash. 
Fairford, Gloucestershire, 
February 24, 1844. 
