XXXV.

General Obfervations with regard to the proper Divifion of a Farm into Inclofures.

Before I conclude this effay, I fhall beg leave to make one other remark with regard to the diftribution of inclofures, that may, perhaps, on fome occafions, be of ufe to the young improver; and that is, to be guided in general, with regard to the form and difpofition of his inclofures, rather by the nature and fite of the ground, than by any deal form of beauty that he may conceive, from exact regularity in a plan drawn upon paper. Nature will in no cafe admit of being directly thwarted in her operations; and all that induftry ought to attempt is, to purfue

gently bend them, where it can be done, to make them concur with our designs.

Among men of tafte, that extravagant fondness for ftraight lines, and perfect uniformity, which for fome time past so univerfally prevailed, is now juftly exploded. But, let not the judicious farmer be hurried away into the oppofite extreme, by following too closely the idea of beauty that modern improvers have adopted. Ornament

with him ought ever to be but a fecondary confideration; and, as ftraight lines are always the most convenient boundaries for his fields, let him never deviate from that, but where the fituation of his ground absolutely requires it. But, where his ground is fo irregular as not to admit of thefe, it would be folly in him to attempt it.

For ground that is to be kept in tillage, it will be of confequence to ftudy, as much as may be, to have the fences of the two fides parallel to one another and straight, as

at

at QQQ (Fig. 20th); but it is of much at smaller confequence to have the boundaries, at the two ends of the ridges, either straight or parallel to one another; and, therefore, on occafions which may require it, the farmer ought always to humour the fituation of the ground in thofe fences that are oppofite to the ends of the ridges, as in the curve line FGP, (Fig. 20th) which is fuppofed to be the natural form of the banks of the rill, rather than the ftraight lines ON, NG, GT, or any other straight line whatever:

Nor ought the oeconomical farmer to confult only the fituation of his grounds, but also their quality, when he means to divide them into inclofures. For it often happens that two fields of very different qualities lie quite contiguous to one another; and if these, for the fake of regularity, should be included in the fame inclofure, and form, perhaps, different parts of the fame ridge, X

he

he may very foon lofe more, by the damage that the one part may fuftain by his being obliged to labour it improperly along with the other, than he can gain by the greater quantity of work that he can perform in a regular than in an irregular field. He will, therefore, in general, make it his study to have all the ground in one inclosure as much of the fame quality as poffible; and make the exact regularity of his field, in fome measure, give way to conveniency in this refpect; although he will not be fo fcrupulously attentive hereto, as to distort his fences for every trifling inequality in this respect.

The foregoing Sheets were thrown off before I had an opportunity of perufing Mr Boutcher's judicious Treatise on Forest Trees. It gives

me

me much fatisfaction to observe, that the opinion I have been obliged from experience to adopt, of the neceffity of having a rich foil for a nursery of thorn-plants, is fo ftrongly confirmed by the experience of that attentive nurferyman. In fame refpects, that gentleman recommends a mode of culture for rearing hedges different from that which I have most approved of; But, upon a careful revifal of what has been advanced in the preceeding pages, I find no reafon to alter any thing that has been faid on that head. His experience has been chiefly in the garden, or in rich sheltered parts of the country-mine has been in the fields, and in expofed fituations. This will account for his approving of fome modes of practice that I have not, nor can recommend. Thofe who are in a fimilar fituation with himfelf may, without danger, adopt his practicewhat I have recommended will answer as well in these fituations, and is the only practice I have yet feen that can be fuccessfully

followed