Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
101 
and  whose  agent  is  a most  excellent  farmer.  The  farmer  who 
has  half  his  land  intended  for  turnips  thus  autumn-manured 
experiences  no  difficulties  in  the  spring.  His  work  is  half  done. 
The  other  portion  of  his  fallow  is  in  vetches  or  to  be  sown  with 
spring  vetches,  which  are  consumed  on  the  land,  and  succeeded 
by  turnips. 
It  has  long  been  the  custom  with  the  Cotswold  farmer  to 
plough  up  his  second  year’s  seeds  in  July,  in  preparation  for  the 
wheat  crop  which  is  to  succeed.  The  feed  is  worth  but  little  after 
midsummer,  and  it  has  been  found  from  experience  that  it  is  best 
to  sow  wheat  after  seeds  on  what  is  termed  a stale  furrow.  The 
land  is  ploughed  in  July,  and  left  for  a month  or  six  weeks 
exposed  to  the  effects  of  the  atmosphere.  It  is  then  rolled,  and 
at  seed-time  it  is  well  harrowed  and  drilled,  and  the  land  has  the 
appearance  of  having  had  a clean  fallow.  Not  a sod  is  seen  on 
the  surface.  The  practice  on  those  calcareous  soils,  which  are 
subject  to  the  grub  and  wireworm,  is  no  doubt  a good  one. 
Occasionally  it  happens  that  a farmer  ploughs  in  autumn  and 
sows  immediately  afterwards.  The  land  is  seen  scattered  all  over 
with  sods,  each  of  which  becomes  a home  for  the  grub,  wireworm, 
and  slug,  which  feed  on  the  young  and  tender  wheat-plant.  By 
ploughing  early,  and  obtaining  a decomposition  of  the  grass  and 
sods,  &c.,  the  vermin  are  deprived  of  food  and  shelter,  and  either 
perish  or  depart  elsewhere. 
There  is  a peculiar  practice  which  has  been  long  established, 
and  which  was  quite  essential  on  our  light  lands,  before  the  late 
rapid  improvement  in  agricultural  machinery.  The  ring-roller 
and  Crosskill’s  clod-crusher  are  taking  the  place  of  the  hoof.  The 
practice  is,  immediately  after  the  harrows,  in  wheat  seed-time,  to 
herd  all  the  young  and  lean  beasts  on  the  farm,  and  drive  them 
to  and  fro  over  the  land  after  the  harrows,  ridge  by  ridge,  as  they 
are  finished  by  the  harrows,  and  in  this  manner  the  whole  field  is 
gone  over,  to  consolidate  the  soil.  The  same  has  been  done  with 
wheat  and  barley  in  the  spring. 
The  folding  of  sheep  at  night  on  the  fallows  in  preparation  for 
wheat  is  done  with  a twofold  object — to  supply  manure  and  to 
consolidate  the  soil.  Its  utility  has  been  questioned,  at  least  it 
is  observed,  mostly  by  parties  who  have  not  had  much  experience, 
that  sheep  suffer  to  as  great  extent  as  the  benefit  to  be  derived 
from  the  folding.  On  heavy  soils  this  may  be  the  case,  but 
heavy  soils  would  not  be  benefited  by  consolidation.  On  chalk 
downs  and  oolitic  downs,  en  the  Cotswolds,  sheep  suffer  very  little 
inconvenience  from  the  practice,  and  the  benefit  to  the  land  is 
considerable,  especially  on  lands  which  do  not  produce  many 
vetches.  On  lands  that  produce  good  crops  of  vetches,  &c.,  it  is 
not  indispensably  necessary  to  fold,  a manuring  is  obtained  without 
VOL.  xr.  m 
