OF SCOTLAND.

439

of soils already treated of in the foregoing sections of this di-vision, more especially thin clay, weak and shallow turnipsoil, and hill moss, or moor; hence Very little remains to besaid on these subjects, except that they are to be laid downagain to permanent pasture, after undergoing the rotation orcourse of improving crops already mentioned, as quickly aspossible, following always the shortest rotations which areadapted for each particular soil. In such situations oats canbe cultivated with greatest success, and the early varietiesought always to be preferred.

On the borders of Scotland , many thousand acres havebeen fallowed, limed on the surface, and the lime harrowedin along with the corn and grass seeds, with the best effect;and at the distance of half a century this management stilldisplays its superior advantages.

2. Of the edges of the moors.

In the neighbourhood of these elevated pastures, there ge-nerally are, upon the lower slopes* of the hills, or what arenamed in some districts the moor edges, tracts of soil of moreor less extent of a better description, and more or less fittedfor tillage. These are chiefly adapted for the purpose of pro-ducing turnips and artificial grasses, as winter and springfood for live-stock, and on them the cultivation of grain is asecondary consideration. In favourable years, the grain cul-tivated on these situations, may serve for the supply of the fa-mily, servants, and horses of the farmer; and from its straw,litter, and even in favourable years winter fodder, may beprovided for cows, young cattle, and horses: But the prima-ry object is, or always ought to be, the production of turnipsand cultivated herbage. In the production of these, the ge-neral principles of the alternate system, as already detailed,are to be followed; and oats, of the early varieties, is almostthe only grain that can be cultivated with any chance of suc-cess : Sometimes big or rough bear, hordeum commune vel te-trastich on, may be substituted.