In this chapter, 111r Blythe show s, in forcible terms, the immense benefit which would accrue to the country front breaking- up old pasture lands, and proves, in a satisfactory manner, that constant pasturage is highly detrimental to the interest of proprietors and occupiers. His sentiments are correct and very applicable to the rural system of many English counties at the present day. It applies, in fact, to the husbandry of all the mid land counties, and, generally speaking, to the whole of England, the counties of Northumberland, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent excepted. In the last men tioned counties, old pasturage, except in situations con tiguous to the houses of gentlemen, is not frequent, though, in a few instances, alternate husbandry, or changing from grass to corn, and vice versa, may not be regularly followed.
Blythe seems to have entertained correct views of the benefits accompanying alternate husbandry, and demon strates, in strong language, the numerous advantages of such a system. In fact, all sour, rushy, or clay soils should be frequently broken up by the plough, and ex posed to atmospherical influence. Grasses upon such soils thrive best at first, and gradually fall off in after seasons. To keep soils of these descriptions constantly in grass, is therefore detrimental to the public interest, because produce of every kind is thereby greatly lessen ed. Were such fields renovated by tillage, and, after being cropped five or six years, sown down with grass seeds, along with a crop of grain upon land that had been summer fallowed, incalculable advantages would hollow both to the public and individuals.
On the other hand, :Mr Blythe appears to have pos sessed just views of the evils flowing from over plough ing, or, in other words, from keeping land constantly under tillage, -a system too prevalent, even now, in many English counties. In his time, as well as at present, a very large portion of English soil was regularly subject ed to the plough, and of course was worn out and ex hausted by constant tillage. A system of this nature has prevailed upon the open and common lands of Eng land since the days of William the Conqueror, and must remain in force till some strong measure is adopted by the legislature of the country capable of putting an end to it. In short, the losses sustained from constant pasturage of a great part of the soil, and constant tillage of another great part, were as correctly ascertained and described by Blythe as by any of our modern, and, ap parently, more enlightened writers.
After the restoration, various improvements were brought to England by refugees, who had resided on the continent during the government of the commonwealth. It has been generally understood, that sir Richard IVes ton, one of these refugees, introduced clover ; but it is certain that this valuable variety of grass was sown in England before that period ; for Blythe treats both of it and St Foy') in a systematic manner. It is more likely
that turnips were then first cultivated; because Blythe does not say a word concerning this valuable escub the introduction of which occasioned almost a total change in the English agricultural system of treating light soils.
Before clover and turnips were cultivated on a great scale, the husbandry of Britain was necessarily imper fect. The scourging crops much exceeded the melio rating ones; of course the produce of the ground was considerably inferior in quantity to what it is now, and a great loss was sustained by the public from not receiving through the whole rear a regular supply of butcher meat, with which they are now fortunately provided. Another circumstance, v. hich accompanied the old sys tem, was, that light soils could rarely be cleaned without suffering them to be unproductive for a year, when they were summer fallowed : whereas since turnips were in troduced, these light soils are much more effectually cleaned than formerly, whilst a valuable crop is obtain ed in the same year. Summer fallow has long been ex tensively practised in England, and at this day perhaps more so than is necessary, especially upon common field land, as will be more particularly noticed in another place. With all fields held in severalty, the introduction of clover and turnips has proved of singular advantage, nos only in a private, but also in a public point of view. A judicious rotation of cropping may therefore be exer cised, insomuch that one culmiferous crop may not follow another, which could not formerly be avoided, whilst the culture of leguminous crops enriches the soil, increases the stock or manure for rendering it pro ductive, and furnishes the means of supplying the mar kets with fat cattle and sheep through every month of the year.
The improvement of the English rural system was in some degree promoted by the exertions of Jethro Tull, an inventive genius, who possessed more imagi nation than solid sense to direct it. By him the drilling or row system of husbandry was brought into practice ; and so eager was he in its support, that he altogether neglected to take into account the impracticability of executing it in numberless situations. But the strongest proof, that the imagination of Tull was more brilliant than his judgment was profound, may be gathered from his hostility to manures, and from his always substitut ing additional tillage in their place. The doctrines of Tull were, however, like those of every plausible theo rist, adopted by several people ; and, to a certain extent, are even fashionable at this day. The utility, nay, the necessity of manures, is now acknowledged by every person; but his plan of drilling every kind of grain continues to be supported, though it is demonstrable that this mode of sowing is chiefly applicable to leguminous crops ; and is only in a few soils and situations practica ble with culmiferous ones.