Management, of Clay Lands for Sheep- Feeding. 523 
years. A great advantage accruing from this arrangement, and one 
saving much labour, is the time allowed for the preparation of the 
seed bed for each crop, especially the three with which under the four- 
courso we havo the greatest difficulty, — wheat, barley, and mangold ; 
tho latter getting a summer as well as a winter fallow, by which a 
weathor-made surface is secured, and an immense amount of forced 
labour at seed-time is dispensed with. 
Another collateral advantage arising out of this septennial division 
is the severance of the periods of sowing into smaller tasks, so that, 
if begun in time, none arc likely to be protracted beyond due season, 
to the detriment of the crop itself, and the hindrance of all other work 
on the farm. Summer preparation for wheat renders wheat-sowing, 
perhaps, the lightest seed-time of the season ; it affords the best oppor- 
tunity for adopting thin and early sowing so well suited to a clay soil, 
and by being quickly out of hand it leaves the teams free to push on 
tho autumn tillage, and, while the land is solid, to run off that portion 
of tho root-crop destined for consumption on the old leys, and pastures, 
and in tho homestead. The old leys remaining unbroken through the 
wettest portion of the winter afford a firm and healthy run of feeding- 
ground for the sheep when the ploughed lands will not bear them. A 
quantity of drawn roots should be securely stored at some convenient 
spot near at hand, that they may be supplied with as little labour and 
carting as possible to the sheep when they are driven from the fold 
on the turnip-land. These old leys coming into fallow for roots, and 
being firm and clean on the top, will bear the sheep and the carting 
without damage to the next crop. The sheep, when driven from these 
lands by the plough must be kept in hurdles, and fed with the stored 
roots on a dry pasture till they can take to the turnip-land again. 1 con- 
sider this system, and such a provision of green crop peculiarly adapted 
to the requirements of a flock of ewes, especially Dorsets, as both tho 
fatting of early lambs and then that of the ewes may be accomplished 
on the root-crop only. I then buy in a lot of tegs to take oil' the summer 
folding of tares and rape, feeding with corn or cake, my object being 
to sell out in the middle of October, when they will have folded over 
the covu'so intended for wheat. This year, as mutton sells well, I have 
kept nearly all wethers through tho winter, and have fatted them with 
very little trouble. The plan I pursue with sheep is this : sheep 
bought in in September or October tf&c the run of the stubbles, and 
go into fold on the land intended for winter beans or winter oats, as 
long as the weather remains fine. Directly it gets too wet for them 
there I move their night-fold to the old Italian rye-grass ley, where 
they find a nice fold of grass with good lodgings. When the stubble- 
feed gets short I send them to fold on the early white turnips ; and 
having once commenced doing so, I would always rather carry out a 
little litter and bed down a fold or two than bo driven off by the first 
rain . If wet sets in, we come off to the fold on the ley ground, and 
supply the sheep from the stock drawn for that purpose, until we can 
get on to the turnip land again. There is plenty of time, as there is no 
corn-crop to follow ; and with a little perseverance the difficulties of 
the season will be overcome. The great thing j in this heavy laud- 
folding 
