If the several operations of fallowing are completed in due time, and tie season be favourable, wheat may be sown; but if circumstances prevent seed work Irons being executed before the middle of October, it will be better to delay that process till the spring months, as all land fresh broken up from grass, alter being com pletely wrought, is apt to throw out the young plants, unless they are well rooted before the winter Irosts set in. Front repeated trials, February is recommended as a good month tor sowing such lands, when a proper autumnal season has been lost ; and, it it were not tor the chance of missing good weather in the above month, we should say, that the sowing of wheat upon hallows, under the circumstances described, ought always to be delayed till the arrival of the spring quarter.
Alter wheat, beans drilled and horse-hoed are the most eligible third crop, as the work necessary will re store the land to the same good condition in which it was after being summer fallowed. Barley, with grass seeds, may follow the beans; though, as grass seeds, particularly clovers, seldom thrive well so easily upon land which has been depastured for any length of time, we are inclined to recommend a second wheat crop, after which that summer fallow should lie repeated ; and if dung is applied in this stage, the ground will be in excellent order fur being seeded with grass, whether it is previously sown either with wheat or barley, both these grains being good forerunners of grass seeds.
According to the above plan, we arc certain that there is not a piece of old grass land in the island but what may be solely broken up, proyided the several operations are executed in a husbandman-like manner. Nay, what is better, we are almost confident that such land, after being renovated by the plough, would carry more grass than it (lid before aration was introduced ; while, in the time it remained under tillage, weighty crops of corn might be obtained at no greater expense than called for by the arable husbandry of the old ploughed lands. Further, as the old arable lands arc worn out and ex hausted by perpetual tillage, the breaking up of the old grass land would furnish an opportunity for laying down the other with grass seeds, and restoring them to pri mitive vigour. In this way a very large part of British soil might be doubled in value ; at least the quantity of grass and corn raised thereupon might be vastly in creased, and a full supply of the necessaries of life pro cured for the people, without being dependent upon other nations, as Britain for years has been, for wheat, oats, tallow, butter, cheese, Ilax, and hemp, arti cles which must be imported under the present state of British agriculture ; though it is obvious, that the whole of them might be cultivated and produced at home, were due attention bestowed upon the resources of the country.
We. have now stated our sentiments respecting the hest mode of managing clay soils recently broken up from old grass, and described some of the numerous advantages which the country would derive were old grass land of this kind brought under alternate husban dry. It shall now be our business to speak of other soils, particularly loans, which being naturally most congenial to the growth of grass, may lie considered as the soil of the great majority of the old grass !and.
Loam consists of several varieties, according to the quantity of manure bestowed in former times, and the nature of the subsoil on which it is incumbent. Heavy loam must be treated in respect as if it were a clay, because it is disqualified by nature from carrying a crop of turnips with ad‘antage ; but light foams, or placed upon a dry bottom, are very lit lor turnip husbandry, and therelore may be included with gra%e_ls and sands, because a sindlar rotation may be practised, though no doubt with different oegre( s of success.
'hen any of these varieties arc broken up nom Old grass, the succeeding rotation ougi,t to oats, barley, turnips, spring whea., or barley, ac coloing to the time that the turnips are consumed. N1 it Clt:sC r ul tin se last mentioned grains, glasses ought to be SOW!), NVIACIl may remain for one y ear, when wheat may be taken, scud the rotation commence again with a turnip crop. it is proper, however, to explain why barley is recom mended as the second clop of the first rotation, because such a recommendation is contrary to the rules o. alter nate husbandry, which, in general cases, we wish should be steadily adhered to. Every person acquainted with the breaking up of old grass hand, must be aware that the surface glass and roots of dilrerent kmus, which all land long under grass is apt to produce, will not be destroyed by the culture given to the first crop, and of course be sensible of the trouble and difficulty which attends the of such land in the second year. In most instances, w ht n reduced by harrowing, the land may be said to be covered with such a quantity of grass roots, as to render it totally- unfit for carry big a crop of turnips ; but, if barley is taken as a second crop, the greatest part of these roots will be destroyed by the weight of the crop, while the soil will be greatly enriched by their destruction. It is obvious, that couch grass or quickens are not included in this description, for such are not to he destroyed in this way, but must be ga thered by the band, otherwise the ground would suffer considerably. It is the roots of ordinary pasture grasses which are alluded to, and these undoubtedly may be brought to a state of putrefaction in the way above de scribed.