I could never until this year, (1731) bring my middle rows, to be any thing near equal to the outfide rows; but now I have done it, both in the treble and quadruple. The earth was all thrown out of the middle of the intervals, before laft harvest, being first well pulverized; then, fome time after harvest, this earth when dry, was raised up to a pretty high ridge, in the middle of each interval from whence it was taken; and when the weather had made it fufficiently moist, the wheat was drilled thereon, with feven-inch partitions. This wheat flourished all the winter and fpring, and the middle rows, June 19th, feem equal to the outfide rows, by their colour and height, both in the treble and quadruple; all being much ftronger than the adjoining fown crops, though on dunged fallows, four times plowed, and mine being without dung for many years past.'

- But though he fucceeded thus far, in making his middle rows, equal to the outfides ones, yet by raising the mould fo high in the middle, the outfides of the ridges were fo much deprived of it, that though the rows were all made equal, the crop was not thereby encreased, but diminished, as he found upon trial for which reafon he wholly omitted middle rows, and drilled only two rows upon each ridge; and then narrowing his ridges from fix feet broad, to four feet nine inches, his crops were better than before; and this method of drilling of only two rows upon a ridge, ten inches afunder, he recommends as the beft upon full experience.

In the above experiment, the ridges were five feet broad, and three rows of wheat, eight inches afunder, were drilled upon each ridge; and fo far this experiment deviated from Mr. Tull's moft fuccessful practice.

2. At first Mr. Tull gave his drilled wheat five or fix horsehoeings; but when by these his land was made very clean from weeds, and brought into fine tilth, and his ploughmen became expert in horse-hoeing, he commonly gave but four hoeings, which produced good crops of wheat every year, and kept his land in a conftant ftate of fertility without manure; it was fo far from being impoverished by thefe fucceffive crops of wheat, that the crops were improving; the laft were more plentiful than the first. The fame effect of this culture has been found by others, who have performed it in the proper manner; and when it happens that the crops begin to decline, he advifes more than four horfé-hoeings; or that the rows should have a light dreffing of fine manure fprinkled upon them by hand, in the spring.

3. In the above experiment the crops declined greatly, the first being twenty fix bufhels per acre, the fecond only thirteen bufhels, and the third but nine. Yet the fame culture was continued without either top-dreffing, or any more than four horfe hoeings. The partiality of the cultivator, or his imper

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fect knowledge of this culture was here apparent : for the fuccels of the new husbandry for wheat, depends not upon manure, but upon good and repeated hoeing. That the experimenter fhould omit to give this wheat more than four hoeings, when he found the crops declining, as Mr. Tull directs, is the more extraordinary, as he acknowledges, that the effects of the horfe-hoeings and hand-hoeings were always vifible in a day or two, in deepening the green of the plants, and encreasing their growth; and the expence of a horfe-hoeing, as he has there stated it, was only eight-pence an acre.

4. In this comparative experiment, the drill husbandry is charged with the expence of a fallow the first year, and produces no crop; the broad-coaft, on the contrary, is not charged with a fallow, but producing a crop of turneps, valued at il. its. 4d. Now admitting the neceffity of preparing the land to be drilled, why not prepare it in the fame manner as the broad-caft, with turneps? Or, as other land for broadcaft crops, with a crop of peafe, hoed beans, vetches, or buck-wheat? for without doubt they ought to be charged equally, both with a fallow, or neither. Befides, though it is cuftomary to fallow land in the old husbandry every fecond, third, or fourth year, it is otherwife in the new; in which the land produces crops of wheat every year, without any neceffity of fallowing or reft. Mr. Tull had wheat crops in fucceffion upon the fame land for thirteen years, to the time of his death; and others have had them for a much longer time, without any fallow, or decline in their crops, though no manure was used and therefore to charge the drilled with a fallow once in four years, and none to the broad-cast, appears to be a partial reprefentation. Had the culture of the drilled been performed in the proper manner, the crops would not have declined, but the land might have produced every year as much as it did the firft, twenty-fix bufhels of wheat; which is not uncommon in this husbandry.

Upon the whole, this experiment cannot, as the author fuppofes, p. 406, be allowed as abfolutely decifive in favour of the old husbandry, but rather, all circumftances confidered, in favour of the new.

The author further acquaints us, that Mr. Young, as the refult of his experience, thinks it would prove moft advantageous to farmers, to unite the old and new husbandry into one courfe, and recommends the following. 1. Drilled beans. 2. Broad caft barley. 3. Ditto Clover. 4. Ditto wheat. Subftituting the profit of the drilled beans, inftead of the broadcaft beans. These four crops he has found to pay a clear profit of 21, 175. 11d. per acre per annum. But as wheat may

immediately follow a crop of drilled beans, these seem to be ftill more profitable, particularly in very ftrong land, not fo: proper for barley; or, if the farmer does not choose to horfehoe his wheat, he may drill it in equidiftant rows, a foot dif tant, to be hand-hoed; or clofe drill it in equidiftant rows, feven or eight inches afunder, not to be hoed; for in either of these methods the crops will exceed the broad-caft, and be more profitable, including the faving in seed.

The author fays, that Mr. Young greatly complains of the inefficacy of the drill-plough, at the fame time that he acknowledges he had a very bad one; but as beans are proved, to be peculiarly adapted for drilling, it is pity, fays he, that we have not a plough for that mere purpose, without any va riation of feed or depth.

Many husbandmen have declined to practise the new hufbandry, for the fame reafon that Mr. Young complains of; a defect, we have fome grounds to believe, will, in a short time be fupplied.

The author concludes with a comparison of the expence of ploughing with horfes and oxen, which is in favour of oxen, though they are fuppofed to work in the common way with yokes and bows; but if the oxen draw in harness, as horses, the comparison will be much more in favour of oxen; as it has been found that they draw much ftronger in harness than with yokes, in the proportion nearly of three to two; i. e. two oxen in harness will do nearly as much work as three oxen of the fame strength will do with yokes.

VIII. Mifcellaneous Differtations on Rural Subjects. 8vo. 55. in boards. Robinson.

THIS

HIS valuable work treats on four different and important fubjects, viz. 1. on Fences, 2. on Manures, 3. on Drillfowing, and 4. on the Force of Running-Water, with its application in turning mill-wheels, &c. Each of thefe, in the order here mentioned, is treated feparately, fully, and with much judgment. The opinions and experiments of former authors, fo far as feems neceffary and ufeful, are related, examined, and confirmed or difproved. Falle opinions or hypothefes are refuted; and unjust reafoning on experiments detected. In fhort, by happily uniting theory and practice, by a distinct and rational deduction from experiments and obfervations, together with many new and interesting obferv ations and directions, all delivered in a plain, clear, and intelligent manner, our author has obliged the public with a

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little work calculated for real and general ufe in the important fubjects abovementioned.

The argument of the first part is as follows.

The manner of fencing low wet land.-Stone fences, dif ferent ways of making them.-The expence of making ftone fences.-The best method of planting wafte land with wood.Eftimate of the expence and profit of fuch plantations from experience. Fencing with walls of chalk-flones.-The manner of building to make them durable.-Of fencing and improvements on the Yorkshire Wolds.-Fencing with double stone walls and wood planted between them; the expence and advantage of fencing in that manner.-Of ditch and bank fencing with quickfets.The plants moft proper for quickfets.-Themoft approved methods of raifing and planting quick fets. And of training them to make ftrong and durable fences. A new method of making cheap and fecure fences.-Fencing with fets planted in fingle rows. Of tree fences. -Furze fences, how to raife and manage them.-Of briar fenzes.-Bank fencing against rivers.- -Several other methods of fencing against rivers.'

From this account of the articles treated on in this first part, it appears that our author, although in a few pages, has included all or moft cafes that can happen, and provided against fuch inconveniences as the feveral circumftances of fituation, materials, &c. may occafion, and that in the cheapest and completest manner. For each of thefe will require different methods to be ufed. Hence

The feveral methods of fencing in different counties are defcribed, of lands of various kinds and different fituations. The two principal uses of fences are for fhelter to lands, and to cattle that feed upon them; and as a fecurity and defence from damages. The firft of thefe is chiefly attended to, in making common quickfet fences. Much wood is planted, and this undoubtedly produces fhelter; but much wood is no fecurity a gainst damage, and is itself an injury to the land. A moderate quantity of wood properly difpofed, anfwers both purposes of fhelter and defence, and cheap methods are here laid down to attain both; which it is prefumed will be acceptable to hufband men, who are fenfible of the benefit of good fences, and of the damage and continual expence of repairing thofe that are infufficient. To render this article the more generally ufeful, the best practical methods are defcribed, of fecuring lands from floods, and encroachments of rivers or other contiguous waters; for by thefe great injury is done, and much land washed away, which might be prevented, if the owners were acquainted with the means of doing it.'

Of the fecond part, the contents are thus related : The feveral kinds of manures used in husbandry. Of the operation of manures upon land; and the different things rela

tive

tive thereto confidered- -Of the principal fingle manures, marle, chalk, lime, and limestone gravel. A ready method of diftinguishing marle from other kinds of earth. Of the compofition of marles, and what foils each fort is most proper for. -A pernicious fort of clay resembling marle, and how to diftinguish it.That marle does not attract falts from the air.- The methods of fearching for marles, and other foffil manures. -Chalk beneficial to both ftrong and light lands. The manner of its operating on both.- Lime by fome fupposed to be an impoverisher of land. The ground and error of that opinion.-Several ways of burning tone and chalk into lime. The best conftruction of a lime-kiln.-Of foap-boiler's afhes; the different forts of them. Of fheep's dung, and folding. Of compofts, and the best way of mixing them.Of powdered manures; and foul falt.- -Of new composts, recommended by Dr. Hunter of York. Of liquid manures.'

And on this part the author, in the Introduction remarks that this is a very extenfive article.

• Manures, fays he, are used by hufbandmen univerfally, Without their aid, lands would fink greatly below their prefent value. Farms that are much deficient in manure are low rented; but where manures abound, the tenant has the means of improvement, and can afford to pay a good rent. He may, notwithstanding, ufe too much manure, or apply it improperly. Plants that are cultivated for their feed, as corn and pulfe of all forts, may be too highly manured: for a large quantity of ma nure promotes the growth of ftraw more than the grain; and this may be carried to fuch an excefs, that the crops will be blighted, and no grain or very little produced. There is not the fame danger in cultivating natural or artificial graffes, not intended to stand for feed; yet even they may be over-done with manure, which will make them grofs, rot at bottom, and lodge.

The qualities of manures, and in what manner they ope rate upon land, are points of enquiry that merit the attention of all cultivators of land: in these we are not much affifted by the common practice of farmers; who are not accurate in making experiments, and very rarely keep any register of them. The operations of bodies, and of manures in particular, are traced with much difficulty; and what has rendered them the more fo, is the propenfity to form hypotheses upon theories, un fupported by experiments. It has long been a current opinion, that nitre or other falts were the caufes of fertility; and confequently, that thofe manures that were found to be the greatest enrichers of land, contained a large proportion of those falts: this was faid of the several forts of marle, lime, and others. But when it was difcovered by experiments, that they contained no falts, it was then faid that they attracted them from the air! but this alfo is now found to be an error; and therefore we muft E 4

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