168 
On Breaking up Grass Lands. 
require a portion of the capital expended to be returned every 
year, as well as interest, until he was repaid, and very justly so 
too. Thus, in consequence of considering the draining to be 
done at the expense of the proprietor, I shall avoid the trouble 
of burthening my calculations with additions for return of capital 
to either the tenant or landowner, simply adding 5 per cent, in 
the shape of increased rent to be paid by the tenant. 
By breaking up those cold pastures that are cold from having 
only a thin layer of top-soil on poor tenacious clay, we convert 
them into still colder arable land ; and all cold arable lands are 
very diflficult to manage, expensive to cultivate, and uncertain of 
produce. Farms that are all, or nearly all, arable, composed of 
such lands, are always more difficult to let when unoccupied, than 
grass farms of a similar nature, with but little arable. This I am 
quite positive of from experience, and therefore believe it would 
be a disadvantage to break up such lands, excepting in small 
portions. On such farms, however, a portion might be of great 
service in arable, and would not be a speculative undertaking if 
broken up by a field or two at a time; but where farms are com- 
posed of dry sound land, with a field or two of this thin cold 
pasture, those fields might be broken up without fear of mischief, 
because the farmer would watch the opportunity, in casual seasons, 
of weather suitable for their cultivation, and would work them 
without loss of time. I think it would not be an advantage to 
break up lands that would remain too stiff for turnips, even after 
being drained, unless for the purpose of spade culture, because, 
on farms of any size, such lands could hardly be managed without 
summer fallow ; but there are many lands which we call clay-lands 
that become marly soils on being drained ; and if the draining 
changes their character, though but imperfectly, these will answer 
to be broken up. Even on heavy clays, where turnips, swedes, 
and other green crops could not be eaten off on the land, the 
roots could be consumed in stalls by fat cattle, which would be 
the means of much enlarging and enriching the dung-heap, espe- 
cially if oil-cake be used. Many lands of this character have been 
in arable at some previous day, and some not many years since, 
that have been left to nature to supply a sward which has not yet 
been thoroughly effected, neither could it be expected, after being 
impoverished like the tobacco lands of Virginia. Such very tena- 
cious soils, of doubtful utility as arable, and in a very unprofitable 
state as pasture, may be improved bj- being broken up again for 
the purpose of being restored to ])asture with better prospects 
for the future, but in doing so, the growing of corn must not be 
the object. Pare and burn the turf, plough the land, sow green 
crops, pulverize, and reduce the soddy texture of the soil by eating 
off with sheep : let this be followed by turnij)s, manured, to be 
