Jersey, Guernsey, Alderneij, and Sarh. 
41 
tiiat clone, the whole is ploughed in 2 or 3 inches deep, and 
allowed to remain so until the end of February, and sometimes 
hiter. By this means the roots of the different plants which may 
liave sprung up since the turnips had been removed are exposed 
to the air and killed, and their leaves rotted with the seaweed 
beneath. Here it may be observed that seaweed decomposes 
quickly, and leaves the soil in a pulverised and open state ; 
it is well harrowed, and stable manure carted and spread 
at the rate of 20 to 30 tons per acre ; then the ploughing 
takes place, in a manner which will seem singular to those un- 
acquainted with the Channel Islands. Before describing tliis, it 
will be well to mention that, when oats are sown, it takes place 
in the early part of February. Only inferior land is tilled 
for this grain ; it is ploughed in the same manner as for wheat, 
);ut no manure is applied. The quantity of oats grown in the 
island is so trifling as to be unworthy of notice. 
Returning to the mode of ploughing for parsnips, a trench 
is made from one end of the piece to the other, from 2 to 3 
feet wide and 15 inches deep ; then a common plough, drawn 
by two horses, turns the manure, with a sod 4 inches thick, 
into the trench. Following this plough, and immediately in its 
path, is another plough, of huge dimensions, drawn by six or 
eight horses, which works at such a depth as to throw up a 
thickness of one foot at least of subsoil over the crust and 
manure which the smaller plough has turned over ; and thus 
they go round until the piece is finished, after which it is har- 
rowed, and the seed sown broadcast at the rate of 3 to 4 lbs. 
per acre ; it is then slightly harrowed in, and left until the 
weeding season arrives. When the young plants have attained 
one inch or so in height they are hand-weeded ; this was for- 
merly repeated three times, but has given way to hoeing, which, 
when carefully done, answers the purpose quite as well, if not 
hetter. When first thinned, the young plants are left from 5 to 
7 inches apart, and the second time about 1 foot. In some cases 
they are hoed three times, much depending on the state of the 
soil ; they are then left until the fall of the year, nothing more 
being done to them. 
The potato land is prepared in the same way as for parsnips, 
the only difference being that no seaweed is employed as manure ; 
is is supposed to give to the tuber a disagreeable taste. When 
the ground has been ploughed and harrowed, the plants being 
cut, the setting takes place. A small one-horse plough is used 
for the purpose of making drills, which generally are eighteen 
ijiches apart and five inches deep ; following the plough, young 
people are employed to lay the sets, — these are placed at a dis- 
tance of nine or ten inches from each other : on its second turn 
