ble, that from my Ignorance, I may have omitted feveral Particulars, which may be neceffary for you to be inform'd of; and that I have not exprefs'd my felf in the proper Terms of Hufbandry; but I hope you will let me know if there is any Thing you defire to have farther explain'd. I fhall be at too great a Distance from London to have Supplies of Dung from thence, fo I must content my felf with what can be had upon the Farm. I can have Lime pretty cheap. Neither my Corn, Milk, nor Hay, &c. can be brought to the London Markets. SIR, To Mr. BRADLEY. Rom Farmers we may collect the common Practice in Hufbandry of their respective Countries; but it is from Gentlemen, who have given their Time and Thoughts to Improvements, that we can hope for the most ufeful Advices, founded upon the Experiments they have made, from their Reafon and Knowledge of Natural Philofophy. My Letter of Yefterday's Date was not gone half an Hour, when a Gentleman who has an Eftate in Dorfetfhire, and who has amus'd himself for fome Years in the Way I propose to do, came in to me. I prefently acquainted him with my Defign, and our Difcourfe run entirely upon Husbandry, till late in the Evening; he having been fo kind as to stay and dine with me. I fhall only trouble you with the Opinion he gave me for the managing one of the Fields, which is moft worn out. In the first place he advis'd the plowing of it, as foon as there fhall fall fall Rain enough to foften it, the Ground being now too hard for any fuch thing's being attempted; and in this firft plowing he advifes the throwing down the Earth from the top of the Ridges into the Furrows. As we have generally Rains in September, he proposes to plow it a fecond time, when the first dry Weather fhall come after the Rains; and at this fecond plowing he defires that they may go deeper than he supposes ever the late Tenant has gone; fo that two or three Inches of fresh Ground may be thrown up, upon which he is for throwing a little Lime, which he fays will, with the help of the Froft in Winter, make it fall down fine: and in cafe I cannot eafily go deep enough with one Plough, because of the stiffness of the Clay, he recommends the having two, the one to follow the other in the fame Furrow: This will be the more neceffary, because of his defiring this plowing may be cross the Ridges; but Men must be fet to work presently, to make Drains to carry off the Water, and particular Care must be taken to keep Water from standing upon fuch Land in the Winter. When the Weather is dry in February or March, he defires it may be plow'd a third time, the common Way the Ridges run, but ftill to throw it down, in order to the bringing of it more to a Level. Prefently after this plowing, he proposes to endeavour to make it fine by harrowing and employ ing of Men with proper Tools to break the Clods: This being done, he is for plowing of it presently again, if poffible, before any Rain comes, otherwise it will rife in larger Clods than ever. This fourth Plowing likewife crofs the Ridges, and deep as the fecond, that it may be open to the Sun all Summer. In the pro : D 4 per per Seafon he is for plowing of it the fifth time, and fowing of it with Wheat, having first dung'd it well. He gave me Directions for preparing of the Dung, of which I fhall acquaint you before I finish this Letter. By this Method, he fays, I fhall have a Depth of Mould equally good; but I must not plow to the bottom of the good Mould, when I come to fow, whereby the Seed which falls into the Furrow, will have good Earth below it for Noutifhment; whereas the common Farmers, by neglecting this, lofe a great part of it, by its falling upon the cold barren Clay in the bottom of their Furrows. He gives me Encouragement to expect a great Crop of Wheat by this Method, even from what is now the pooreft. When the Wheat is cut down, he advifes the plowing of it, and letting it lie all Winter, and in the Spring to fow it with Barley and Rye Grafs, which is call'd with them Everlafting Grafs. In order to prepare it for the Barley and Grafs, he advises the plowing of it twice; firft very deep, after which, to break the Clods, harrow it till very fine, then plow it a fecond time,aying it as flat as you can; fow it firft with the Barley, and with the Grafs, before the laft harrowing is finish'd. He acknowledges that this will put me to a great Expence, but affures me that the Crops of Wheat and Barley, and the vaft Crops of Grafs, which I may expect for a great many Years, without being at more Expence, will fully anfwer my Trouble. He gave me the following Directions for making a large Dunghill in or near the Field. To chufe a plain Spot of Ground, and there to dig a Pit floping down to the middle, then to to throw in Horfe or Cow-dung about two Foot; then to throw upon it the Earth dug up, about two Foot thick, upon which he defires me to put fome Lime; after which, Dung again, and Earth upon that, with Lime as before. The Earth from the clearing of the Ditches, the Road, or the Rubbish from the repairing of the House, he tells me are all good Mixtures. Thus I may repeat the Dung, Earth, and Lime, till it is large enough for the Field for which it is defign'd, or while I can have Dung enough, carefully to cover it with Turf, or fome fuch thing, from the Sun. To prevent too much Wet coming upon it from higher Grounds, which may be done by making a Furrow with a Plough round it, to divert fuch Water coming upon it; and likewise to take Care that the Moisture don't run from the Dunghill. To make the Dunghill broad rather than too high, and to let all this Mixture lie and ferment together, till I am ready to plow the last time for the Wheat. If I fhall find any Grass rise from the Earth, he advises the trenching of it next Spring, which he fays will mix it well together, and kill the Seeds or Roots of the Grass. Anfwer to the foregoing Letters, with the Method of improving the faid Land. TH To Mr. G. D. HE Account you have fent me of your Farm is so much to the Purpose, that I think my felf almoft as capable of judging of it as if I had feen it: The Defcription you give me of the Soils fufficiently explains to me, that they may very eafily be made to enrich one another; and as they are the principal Points upon which depends your Improvement, I fhall begin with examining the Particulars, viz. Heath Soil, which is light and open. When we have thefe four Soils in an Estate, it is my Opinion you cannot complain; for in the stiff Soils there is an excellent prolifick Virtue; they abound in the vegetable Riches, but by means of an oily, or rather a viscous quality which is in them, the Parts are fo closely bound together, that they cannot act unless they are open'd; and thefe ftrong Soils in wet Seafons ruin Corn, though they produce good Grafs; while the light Soil brings good Crops of Corn, and are not without tolerable Crops of Grafs at fuch Seasons. In dry Seafons Corn will come to good Perfection (tho' the Straw is fhort) upon lighter Land, |