Breakiuff up Grass Land. 
511 
answer better than any yet discovered. It is thus described by an 
intelligent Irieiid of the writer, and as it also clearly states the 
practice of paring and burning, it will not again be detailed. He 
says : — Pare the sward as thin as possible with the breast-plough, 
burn in small heaps at equal distances on the land, care being 
taken that the turf is not too dry, the ashes being much richer 
when it moulders away than if burnt quickly. When the ashes 
are well spread the land is shallotc raftered, and then cut with a 
breast-plough the j)art left untouched by the rafter, at about one 
inch and a half in <lepth. The laud is then dressed, and remains 
until the autumn, when the wheat is sown broad-cast, and dressed 
in. By this plan the wheat has a firm bed to receive the roots, 
and icire-ifonn seldom appears, nor is there any loss of plant. 
The second year turnips are sown, which are fed on the same, 
with hay or chaft', sometimes a mixture of both. It is again sown 
the following spring with rape, and eaten off with the sheep in 
August or September, and sown to wheat, care being taken not in 
any instance to plough more than two and a half to three inches 
deep, which is important to the success of the plan adopted, 
keeping the ashes near the surface, as also bringing the soil 
gradually to be acted upon by the atmosphere. Grass seeds or 
clover are sown in the following spring, dressed in and rolled off, 
which produces a large crop of sheep-feed, it is laid two years, 
but on the very high lands in some cases remaining three or four 
years, if the sward continues sufficiently productive, or sometimes 
oats are taken after the second crop of wheat, and then seeded 
down." Another course which is adopted is, to take rape or 
turnips after the paring and burning; '2nd, wheat; 3rd, oats; 
and then seeds. Many of these downs, in their present state, 
being of little value, would, when broken up, be much improved 
by a liberal supply " of bones, guano, or other enriching manure, 
thus laying the foundation for good corn crops to follow." Deep 
ploughing lands of this texture, when recently broken up, is 
found to be highly detrimental, as causing in severe frost a serious 
loss of plant ; and has also proved an encouragement to the grub 
and wire-worm. A firm standinar, it is universallv acknowledged, 
is requued for the healthy development and maturity of the 
wheat plant. " The pai'ing, burning, and spreading the ashes 
varying according to the land, will cost upon the average from 
20s. to 255. per acre. Two horses will rafter* five roods per 
day, and the after-cutting 5s. per acre." On lands of this cha- 
racter in Norfolk, the higher parts of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, 
♦ To rafter or plough-rafter the land, as it is termed, is to plough only 
one-half of the land, turning the furrow ploughed upon the same breadtti 
of land remaining unploughed throughout the field. 
