432

ON THE ARABLE LAND

mers, however, are of opinion, that it would be more profit-able to stop at the sixth crop, and to make it wheat instead ofbarley; then commencing with a fallow or with turnips; cloverand rye-grass will rarely succeed, but after a fallow or fallowcrop, and if it fails, so will in a great measure the eighth crop,or the oats.

SECT. III.

ROTATIONS ON LIGHT LAND.

In this section it is proposed to include, as light or turnipland, all soils called sandy loam and loamy sand, which areonly gradations of the same nature; the former being thericher, as approaching to free loam, and the latter gradua-ting insensibly into sandy soil and bnrning sand or gravel.The general principles of management, for this descriptionof soil, are precisely similar to those already insisted on, andevery rotation should be formed on the substantial basis of athoroughly wrought turnip fallow, to clean the soil from weeds.The course of crops proper for light soil is, 1. Turnips indrills ; 2. Wheat or barley; 3. Clover and rye-grass; 4. Oats;and so round again to a new rotation, commencing alwayswith turnips. “ In very good turnip soils, this course ofcrops may be repeated indefinitely with perfect success fromfour years to four years, on condition that the turnip crop isalways eaten on the ground by sheep, and that the grasscrop be pastured, or at least that the hay produce be return-ed to the soil in the shape of muck

The foregoing four-course shift, or rotation of four years,

* Berwickshire Report, p. 206 .