The Flemish practice, with regard to a change of seeds, has long prevailed in Scotland, not only as to potatoes, but as to wheat, barley, oats, and all other grain. The Scotch potatoes have always appeared to me superior to those raised in England, where the same attention is not shown to the choice of seed. It is a fact, also, well known in these countries, that the barley raised in Scotland, though greatly inferior in appearance to English barley, and raised in a colder climate, contains more saccharine matter, or nourishment. This has been tested by experiments at the distilleries, under the immediate inspection of officers appointed by the government, who reported a greater quantity of spirit obtained from barley, the growth of Scotland, than from that produced in England. The beef sold in the London markets, which had been reared in the Scotch distilleries upon the refuse grains, uniformly sells at from three to four cents a pound more than that fed at any of the English distilleries.
This superiority unquestionably arises from the greatly improved system of agriculture, generally introduced into Scotland, but it is owing in nothing so much as to the very scrupulous attention there paid to the choice of seed. Of late years, this branch of husbandry seems to have considerably attracted the notice of the English farmers; some of whom, as appears from the English newspapers, have found it greatly to their interest to cultivate wheat, in particular, obtained from foreign places, which, when grown, they convey to distant parts of the country, and sell exclusively for seed wheat. It was mentioned in the Cumberland Packet (an English journal) of 14th October, 1816, "that a farmer had obtained l.40, ($170,) per load, of 30 bushels, for seed wheat, on account of its great product. He had also, obtained the same price for seven years past for this wheat, which had been originally imported from abroad."
Rotation of Crops—The intelligent agriculturalists of England are well aware, that the more the rotation of crops are varied, the more abundant is their produce; but this opinion is confined to a few in that country. It is only in Flanders that the idea of exhausting the soil, by repeated cropping, is exploded, and the rotation system brought to the greatest possible state of perfection. The ground being prepared in the manner before stated, the Flemish farmer adopts either one or the other of the following courses:
FIRST COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
First year.—Oats are sown about the end of February, or beginning of March. These are cut green toward the end of April, or beginning of May, and given to the cattle for food, which they eat with great pleasure. It is found that this crop, as it is not allowed to throw out the ears, does not exhaust the soil, or take anything from the subsequent crop.[12] Winter potatoes are now sown for a second crop; previous to which the land is dug and manured. When of a middling size the potato is planted whole, but if very large, the eye only is used.
Second year.—Wheat forms the first crop; and scarcely are the sheaves removed from the ground, when the farmer promptly turns up the earth, and sows spurry. Sometimes carrots are sown with the wheat.
Third year.—Rye; which is followed by Turnips.
SECOND COURSE FOR THREE YEARS.
First year.—Flax preceded by green oats. After the flax, carrots.
Second year.—-Wheat; followed by Spurry.