In the second place, were we to allow, for argument's sake, that the drilling of all grain was a practicable measure upon wet lands, still it remains to be inquired, how such soils could be cleaned in a satislactory manner, when the intervals betwixt the drills must necessarily be narrow and confined, admitting little more than a nar row hand hoc, which never could exLirpate the root weeds, or free the ground of its aboriginal inhabitants. Were a horse hoc to be used, the surface would break up in lumps, or massy pieces, to the destruction of the grain plants, whilst, after all, a hoeing of a deepn.:ss sufficient to destroy the weeds could not be given. If the intervals were wide enough to allow a horse hoc room for work, the produce ol the crop would be propor tionally curtailed, while the quality of the grain would be materially injured from a continuance of tillcring, a very late period. With beaus this does not happen ; for the pods being placed upon the under and middle parts of the stalk, the introduction of air is absolutely necessary to increase their number, and to bring the grain to maturity. Wheat, barley, and oats, are dif ferently circumstanced. With them the gram is placed upon the top of the stalk, consequently the introduction of air is less necessary. At all events, we are confident that, with equal management, a greater produce may be gained from culmilerous crops upon Hai/ soils, according to the old husbandry, than can possibly be gained by the introduction or row culture. That the southern dis tricts of England, and many kindly soils in other dis tricts, may be drilled with safety and advantage, we do not mean to dispute ; but betwixt these and tie gene rality of soils which prevail in the island of Britain, a distinction must be drawn, the husbandry eligible for the one being inadmissible for the other.
In the third place, what is summer fallowing but merely tilling the ground at a proper season, and free ing it from weeds, at a time when the operations of ploughing and harrowing can only be successfully execu ted ? If we had no wet weather, and no winter months, then constant cropping would certainly be practicable, and an extra stock of men and horses would be all that was required ; but in the present state of 13r;tisii climate, (and we know not how it is to be avoided) little or no work can be clone from autumn to the first of April, which can materially tend. to clear the gruund, or free it of root weeds. The sole object of ploughing in w in 14 to rot the stubble, and prepare a seed-bed for spring seeds. Even with ( very degree of attentioe, ploughing; is ()Item nom la( USSIA), pc. normal iu Oa' Win ter season midi r such I (ourable e rc unistances, as to hasten a return of Su1n111tr billow sooner than eould be wished. 'Inc anti-tallow ists all( ge, the earth is destined by nature to an everlasting 'mind of Ncgutatym ;" but there is nut much sense in the position, when ap plied to practical husband' y. Will the earth produce ever crops unless the seed is sown ( or oirl;lit corn to be sown unless the earth is properly prepared tor its re ception ? The natural vegetation ol the (arth is a thing assuredly very different from N‘ at mall w fishes it to nu, and his constant object therefore is to destroy natural, and substitute artificial vegetation in its place. lu a word, to free the earth from the vegetation w filch it na turally produces, ought to be, and is the steady object of every good husbandman ; and the sole subject fur dis pute is, now and in what way can that freedom be most substantially and effectually gained ? Upon all clay soils, and, generally speaking, upon soils of every desci iption, incumbent upon a wet bottom, the best time of c leaning them is in the summer months; and in this opinion we are decidedly supported by the respectable author of the Staffordshire Survey. That gentleman, in his re port to the Board of Agriculture, says, " Fallowing for wneat on cold, WO, or strong lands, and on all such as are unlit for turnips, is absolutely necessary ; and he who attempts to manage such land without fallowing. will have occasion to repent his mistake. Mixed soils are too moist for turnips, have a particular pro pensity to we protiuction of root grasses. Summer fal low therefore becomes absolutely necessary, and every attempt to crop without it, for any length of time, on such land, has terminated to the injury of the land, and the loss of the occupier."
Before we leave the subject of summer fallow, it may be remarked, that the ancients seem to have been very sensible of its utility ; for, instead of recommending fallowing at periods, three, four, six, or eight years. from each other, as is commonly done by modern wri ters, they mention it as a necessary preparation for a crop in ordinary soils. In Switzerland, and some parts of France, they' crop and fallow alte-mately ; and this seem , to have been the common practice among the Romans, from whom, no doubt. other nations received it. If the Romans, who enjoyed, from the early season of harvest, great advantages over us, fallowed so frequently ; it they seldom had a crop of any kind immediately after a crop of wheat and barley ; if they even seldom sowed. these grains upon lands had carried a crop in the preceding year, excepting when such was cut green for cattle, certainly the late season of harvest in Britain. and the difficulty of preparing land after it for Winter grain, should engage us to fallow much more frequently than we do.
Although agricultuie, and other arts, may have nics arrivod at greater perfection, than under the Roman government, we are not sure, but that much benefit may be gained from a studious examination of the Roirein agricultural system. Good ploughing seems to bare been an object of their particular attention ; and with respect to industry in collecting and preparing manure, the most assiduous British husbandman falls fir short of the ancient cultivators. If the ancients Were inferior in theoretical knowledge to our modern improvers, yet. in attention to circumstances, and exactness of execu tion, they seem to have been greatly superior Nor need this superiority excite slaw Ise ; bee arise the great est and wisest men among the Romans applied them selves to the study and practice of agriculture. In the hands of such persons, agriculture was brought to the greatest perfection, and all its operations Avery per14med with the greatest economy and exactness. Pliny assigns this as the reason, that, in ancient times, there was such plenty of corn in Rome.—"What," say s he. " was the cause of this fruitfulness ? Was it because, in those times, the lands were cultivated by the hands even of generals; the earth, as it is natural to suppose, delight ing to be ploughed with a share adorned with laurels, and by a ploughman who had been honoured with a triumph ? or was it because these men ploughed their fields with the same diligence that they pitched their camps, and secured their corn with the same care that they formed their armies for battle ?" Though we entertain a favourable opinion of the rural economy of the Romans, and believe, that much may be learned from it, we arc far from recommending it as a pattern to be imitated by British husbanchnen. We view it, however, as a ground-work, on which a good fabric may be reared; because the fundamental principles of agriculture were carried into practice by that people, with a degree of diligence and method well worthy of general imitation. Agriculture is a living science, and susceptible of improvement in every age. In our times, when the implements of husbandry are more perfectly firmed, and when more suitable modes of cropping, than were used by the ancients, are adopted, it is altoge ther unnecessary to crop and fallow alternately ; because it is completely ascertained, that, by diligent cultivation to intermediate crops, summer fallow may be de layed for four, six, or eight years, according to soil, seasons, and other circumstances. But, though from these considerations it appears abundantly evident, that a repetition of fallow, as recommended by the Roman writers, would be unnecessary undt r our improved mode of cropping, yet it does not hence follow, that the prac tice of working land in the summer mouths, in other words, of fallowing it, should be given up, merely be cause the necessity of repeating it so frequently which formerly existed, is now superseded by superior ma nagement. Every argument in support of fallowing, where the land is foul, remains in full force, or on its original footing, although there may not be the same necessity for repeating it so frequently, as was customary in former times.