Farming of Wiltshire. 
173 
as that of the southern division. It produces, however, exrellcnt 
veg^etablcs. to the s:ro\vth of which it is chiefly applied. The city 
of Bath is mainly supplied with carrots, turnips, and green peas 
from this source. Tlic size of the farms in this division differ 
from those of the south, being mostly small, say from fifty to five 
hundred acres; the largest are in the arable part of the division. 
The principal part of the arable land of North Wilts then consists 
of stonebrash soil. There are, indeed, several portions here and 
there of a different kind, but they are generally small, belonging 
to dairv farms, and cultivated at the option and convenience of the 
occupiers. Upon these there are so many modes of cropping, and 
the soils are so various, that it is impossible to reduce it to a sys- 
tem. But a more regular method of cropping is pursued upon 
the stonebrash soils varying according to its depth. The four-field 
system is generally pursued on the deepest, and a five-field upon 
the thinnest. The rotation of the four-field is generally the com- 
mon or Norfolk course. 
1st. Wheat. 
2nd. Vetches and turnips. 
3rd. Barley or oats. 
4th. Clover. 
The five-field is the same, with the difference only of the clover 
remaining two years, or broken up the second year and followed 
by turnips or spring vetches. It cannot be said that rotation is 
always obsened, for some farmers have introduced the practice of 
growing two green crops in succession, as well as two corn crops ; 
and some do not scruple to take two corn crops and one green 
crop. This soil is not so generous as that of South Wilts, and is 
not kept in such high condition, there being neither water mea- 
dows nor downs to assist it, nor is the cleanly state of the arable 
farms in North Wilts proverbial; but there is a spirit abroad 
amongst us for improvement, which is daily increasing, 
In respect to Manures. Sheepfolding is practised after the 
same manner as in South Wilts. Bones have been found to an- 
swer well upon the stonebrash, but they are not in general use, 
nor is much attention paid to any other artificial manures. Soot 
is used with advantage as a top-dressing for wheat. Stifle -bur ninr/ 
is by far the most general preparation for turnips, and is done 
after the following manner : — The land is raftered, and pared with 
the breast-plough ; or raftered again in a cross direction, to get 
suHicient earth for burning. It is then worked with the drags or 
harrows, and when dry the couch or turf is raked into heaps, and a 
small bundle of straw placed in the middle of each heap and set 
on fire. The hole is then closed, and as soon as the heap burns 
freely, the earth is shovelled upon the fire in large quantities; 
