On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
717 
1.  Wheat. 
2.  Vetches,  fed  off,  the  land  ploughed  one  earth  and  left  for  the  winter. 
3.  Ploughed  twice  in  spring  for  barley. 
4.  Clover,  led  off. 
5.  Land  fed  till  June  next  year  ; a half  fallow  to  prepare  for  wheat. 
One  of  the  most  remarkable  clay-farms  is  that  occupied  by 
Mr.  Blandford,  a tenant  of  Lord  Portman’s,  at  Orchard  Port- 
man,  on  the  borders  of  the  lias  and  red  marl.  He  found  it  in 
a very  foul  state,  and  has  been  at  great  expense  in  cultivating 
roots  to  clean  it.  The  land  being  very  unfavourable  for  the 
consumption  of  turnips  on  the  ground,  it  is  his  intention  to  adopt 
a system  which,  to  me  at  least,  has  the  merit  of  novelty.  As 
soon  as  his  farm  is  thoroughly  cleaned,  he  means  to  give  up  the 
cultivation  of  roots  as  far  as  possible,  and  to  make  manure  in 
his  yards  by  consuming  the  produce  of  one-third  of  his  farm  at 
home  in  the  form  of  pulse,  oats,  and  barley ; in  addition  to 
another  third  in  green  crops,  sending  to  market  only  wheat, 
meat,  and  dairy  produce.  The  course  will  be  as  follows: — 
1.  l-3rd  wheat. 
2.  l-9th  pulse  ; l-9th  winter  oats;  l-9th  winter  barley. 
3.  l-9th  roots  ; l-9th  vetches  ; l-9th  clover. 
It  is  his  opinion  that  where  the  root-crops  must  be  drawn  off' 
the  land,  the  carriage  of  90  per  cent,  of  water  for  10  per  cent, 
of  nutritious  matter  is  too  expensive,  and  that  it  will  pay  better 
and  make  more  ammonia  to  consume  the  pulse  and  inferior  grain 
with  chaff,  with  the  occasional  addition  of  linseed  or  cake.  It 
will  be  observed  that  by  the  adoption  of  this  arrangement,  a 
heavy  proportion  of  the  labour  is  thrown  upon  the  autumn  ; but, 
on  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  considered  that  on  such  lands  it 
often  happens  that  what  is  not  done  before  winter  cannot  be  done 
at  all  in  the  spring.  A comparison  of  Mr.  Blandford’s  three- 
course  system  on  clay  with  Mr.  Salter’s  three-course  system  on 
light  land,  mentioned  at  page  7'24,  may  afford  some  useful  sug- 
gestions at  the  present  time. 
Mr.  Blandford  has  a portable  steam-engine,  which  he  lets  out 
to  his  neighbours,  and  is  using  all  the  appliances  which  tend  to 
promote  the  careful  and  economical  consumption  of  food  and 
manufacture^  of  meat,  and  to  put  his  farm  into  high  condition. 
Not  far  from  Orchard  Portman  is  a tract  of  clay  land,  Ashill 
Forest,  and  its  neighbourhood,  which  is  in  a deplorable  state. 
Soon  after  it  was  inclosed  it  was  racked  out  by  over-cropping  ; and 
it  all  wants  draining,  without  which  nothing  can  be  made  of  it. 
I cannot  venture  to  point  out  the  practical  course  which  ought 
to  be  taken  with  the  worst  clays  in  Somerset;  but  I have  en- 
deavoured to  ascertain  what  is  done  in  other  places.  On  a deep 
yellow  clay  on  the  borders  of  Buckinghamshire  and  Bedfordshire, 
when  there  is  no  chance  of  a crop  if  the  land  is  ploughed  in  spring, 
3 A 
VOL.  XI. 
