! The field No. II. consists of a good light loam, with a considerable mixture of sand. Part of this field (during the year 1820) produced a crop of potatoes, and part a crop of turnips. The potatoes were taken out of the ground in the month of October, after which, the field was harrowed with a double streak of the harrows across the drills, and afterwards ploughed in the direction of the harrowing. The turnips were taken out of the ground in the month of January, after which, the field, as in the former case, was harrowed with a double streak of the harrows across the drills, and afterwards ploughed in the direction of the harrowing. White Essex wheat was sown after the potatoes, and Talavera wheat after the turnips. The following table contains the particulars respecting the Drilled Wheat, viz. Essex Wheat. 4 3 22 Nov. 20. Sept. 12. 111 Feb. 40 3 1 1821. 1821 4 3 0 Talavera Do. 2 0 14 Feb. 6. Do. 50 Dec. 17 0 1 4 3 13 The following is a state of the expence respecting the raising of Drilled Wheat, viz. L.0 9 31 To one double streak with harrows, to 6 acres 3 roods 36 falls of ground, at 1s. 4d. per acre, To one ploughing to do., at 8s. per acre, VOL. VI. Carried forward, 215 9 To laying off furrows at the distance of 9 feet To three single streaks with harrows to do. before and after sowing, at 23. per acre, To hoeing do. with the machine, at 2s. 6d. per acre, To reaping do., at 12s. per acre, 0 10 51 0 17 5 0 13 111 0 17 5 4 3 8 2 11 5 To carrying home and stacking grain, at 7s. 41d. per acre, To 3 bolls 3 firlots 2 lippies of common Essex wheat, (except 1 choppin), at 35s. per boll, To 1 boll 3 firlots 3 lippies of Talavera wheat, at 35s. per boll, 6 15 8 3 7 11 L. 23 3 0 Note. The potatoes and turnips were dunged in the same way, and the expence of both may be considered as proportionally equal to the expence of dunging the field No. I. This expence, however, it is not necessary to state here, as it is counterbalanced by the value of the turnips and potatoes. The following table contains the particulars respecting the Wheat sown Broadcast, viz. The following is a state of the expence respecting the raising of Wheat sown Broadcast, viz. To one double streak with harrows, to 1 acre 2 roods 9 falls of ground, at 1s. 4d. per acre, To one ploughing to do., at 8s. per acre, L.0 2 0 0 12 51 009 To three single streaks of harrows after sowing, at 2s. per acre, To reaping do., at 12s. per acre, To carrying home and stacking grain, at 7s. 41d. per acre, To 1 boll 2 firlots lippie of seed-wheat, at 35s. per boll, 03 11 0 18 8 0 11 5 2 13 7 L.5 2 01 I have now given you an account of all the particulars respecting the raising of wheat on the farm of Linksfield. With the management of the land, and the quantity of seed, expence and produce of wheat sown broadcast, I have contrasted the management of land, quantity of seed, expence and produce of wheat sown in drills, adverting at same time to the comparative weights of the grain produced. I have, however, refrained from making any observations of my own on the result of these experiments, leaving it to the Society to draw such conclusions from them as the experiments themselves may naturally suggest. And I am, Sir, &c. JOHN LAWSON. P 2 P. S. I have found from former experiments on drilling, that, in very rich lands, the drilling increases the strength of the straw, and allows the air to pass through the rows, by which the lodging of the grain is prevented. In particular, I had a field of drilled barley on my farm of Old Mills this year, from which I reaped ten bolls per acre, whereas I am convinced, that had it been sown broadcast, I would not have reaped nearly so much, nor would the quality of the grain have been so good as it was. I saved, besides, my grass-seeds, which would otherwise have been destroyed by the lodging of the grain *. J. L. * The comparative results of these experiments may be exhibited in the following abstract. In the weight per boll, the difference, though very small, is rather in favour of the drill. But, in other respects, there is hardly any difference worth notice.-ED. REPORT AND CERTIFICATE OF FIORIN GRASS, CULTIVATED IN ARGYLESHIRE; By Mr DONALD MACCOLL, at Lettershuna, Appin. Appin, 26th October 1821. At the request of Mr Donald Maccoll, we have day this inspected a field of Fiorin Grass at Lettershuna, Appin, consisting of about 3 English, and consequently considerably more than 2 Scotch, acres; and on having part of the grass cut and weighed in our presence, find the produce to be 2325 stones per Scotch acre. The field in question, until it was lately prepared for fiorin grass, was not worth 10s. per acre annually, from its wetness, and from its having been principally covered by brush-wood, rushes, sedges, &c. and we now consider it well worth 10 guineas per acre, from the immense quantity of winter-food upon it, where winter-food for cattle is so valuable. Mr Maccoll's first operation upon the field was to root out the bushes, then to drain the land as well as possible from its local situation, but we consider |