adapted only to the culture of rye, hemp, flax, turnips, and parsnips*.'

By the subsequent introduction of lime as a manure, it has been so fertilized, as to be successfully applied to the growth of every grain. The pastures also, which in Dr. Beale's time were stated to consist of short and poor grass, or of a coarse and sea-green blade," have been improved in an equal degree."

"A

And, in the section "Manuring" (in continuation of the remarks above mentioned) he says;-p. 107. practical proof of the use of lime on light soils is supplied by the district of Irchenfield in this county. This district, which, as before noticed, was reported by Dr. Beale to refuse wheat, peas, and vetches, and to be adapted only to the culture of rye, hemp, flax, turnips, and parsnips,' has been so' essentially improved by the use of lime as a manure, that it not only produces plentiful crops of barley, peas, &c. but is also successfully applied to the growth of wheat and other grain."

"Of other manures used in Herefordshire, the sweepings of towns is very valuable in those situations, which by their proximity will admit of its use. Common ashes and those from the soap-boiler's furnace, are applied to pastures with great effect. Night-soil is also mixed with earth and other ingredients, and forms a very forcing compost. The shovelings of roads, scouring of ditches, mud from ponds, and other resources of the active farmer, are occasionally resorted to, but not so often as they might be with profit.'

TILLAGE. In the section "Fallowing," we find crouded, in a sort of literary mob,-not only what properly belongs to that subject, or to that of tillage in general;-but to manure, wheat, tax on horses, tav on malt, markets, rent, harvest work-people, oats, grass lands, barley, peas, hops,all hustled together,-in one of the crack reports of counties! One of the sacred books of the "Philosophers Bible;"-one of the immortal chapters of the "famous doomsday book" of modern times;-one part of a "book of authority-unequalled in any nation of the world."— What an honor to ENGLISH LITERATURE!!!!!" +

The fragmentary parts that relate to tillage, and require to be preserved, are the two which follow.

*Herefordshire Orchard, 1656."

P. 53.

+ Mr. Duncumb's name is enrolled in the document of which men tion is made, in the prefix to this volume.

P. 53. "Fallowing, or repeated ploughing, is found in all cases the best preparation for sowing."

From this first line of the section, it will readily be per ceived that Mr. D. is a fallowist, and he, accordingly, dissertates, at some length, on the pulverisation of soils; but without appearing to be aware, that pulverizing like most other valuable operations, may be carried too far; or that a clover ley, that is to say-soil interwoven and held together in a state of firmness, with the roots and fibers of vegetables, is frequently preferable to a fallow, as a matrix for the seed, especially of wheat; the almost only grain crop that is mentioned in this Report of arable county.

Mr. Dis recapitulation of the advantages gained by tillage is brief:-P. 55. "Ploughing tends to dissolve the too great adhesion of stiff soils, it facilitates the introduc tion of manure, it destroys weeds, it opens the pores of the earth to receive readily the dows and vapours of the atmosphere, it enables the roots of plants to shoot more vigorously, and it brings the land into that state, which most easily admits of the depositing of seed."

t

A due proportion of tillage may certainly contribute toward these several benefits. But an excess of it, especially when applied to tenacious soils, is capable of rentdering then entirely barren; by causing them to flux with water, as metals do, by fire; thereby, not only ren dering them, when indurated by draught, impervious to the tender fibrils of plants, but suffocating those which may have been formed, when the fluxion took place.

WHEAT. Even this, which, as has been said, is the only grain crop whose culture is in any way described, is very imperfectly treated of, However, by gleaning from different chapters and sections, and arranging the scraps picked up, in the natural order in which they succeed each other, in practice, I have been enabled to make out some account of the Herefordshire practice, so far has been incidentally noticed by the Board's Reporter. Of the varieties of wheat that are cultivated in Hercfordshire, I find no notice.

as

it

Some idea of the sails on which wheat is cultivated, there, may be caught in the following account of the Tillage in use, for the wheat crop.-P. 56. "The particular modes in which this practice" (ploughing)" is now generally pursued in Herefordshire, ou different soils under the preparation for the culture of wheat, are as follow: on the clays, the first ploughing for a fallow cóni

mences

mences on a clover-ley, as soon as the Lent grain is sown, that is at the end of April or beginning of May. Previous to this, about one hundred and twenty bushels of lime are spread on each statute acre, and are ploughed in, by shallow furrows, so as to mix most effectually with the turf of the surface. Six weeks afterwards, the fields are crossploughed, and in the beginning of August, sometimes with a little dung, but more frequently without any, they are ridged up for the sowing, which commences in the vicinity of Dore, where the management of this branch at least, is generally good, by the last week in September or the first in October. The produce, as before mentioned, averages from twenty to twenty-five bushels per acre; but the system, it is thought, would be improved by beginning to fallow immediately after wheat sowing, instead of deferring it until May, and this would more than compensate for the small share of feed which sheep derive from the clover-leys during the winter. The second ploughing then takes place immediately after the Lent grain is sown, the third in six weeks after, at the fourth, it is ridged up before the harvest begins, and at the fifth it is sown in the beginning of October. This practice gives an additional ploughing, and it has been adopted by several farmers with great success; Mr. Knight, however, is unfriendly to this mode, and contends, that crops on clays may be injured by too much pulverization. On the light lands near Ross, the first ploughing for a fallow is postponed to the end of July, or even to the beginning of August, in order that the sheep may avail themselves of whatever pasture the clover-leys may afford, until they are sold at Ross fair on the 20th of July. In the month of May, the dung is hauled from the fold and placed in convenient heaps for spreading on the clover, as soon as the sheep are removed. As their heaps are to be exposed to the sun and air during two of the hottest months, a turf is generally laid on the top of each of them, that their virtues may not be exhaled and lost, before they are mixed with the soil. The second or crop-ploughing takes place six weeks after the first, and the third after an equal interval, when lime is introduced in proportion to the deficiency of dung, and the whole is ridged up for sowing in November."

The Reporter, however, recommends a "better practice;" and proceeds, in the didactic way, and the true pharmacopean manner, to impress it on the mind of his reader. But "the D-I a bit, the better Herring."

Manure

t

Manure for wheat. See the general article; Manure, aforegoing.

Semination. On this stage of the wheat culture, we find a few particulars, beside those mentioned under the head Tillage: they are as follow:

Time of sowing; as aforegoing.

"Con

Choice and preparation of the seed.-P. 58. siderable care is taken, and very deservedly, in the selec tion of wheat for sowing. The produce of the chalk-hills of Oxfordshire is often procured for this purpose, and with good effect; but the farmer is more frequently satisfied with the finest seed he can obtain from soil of an opposite description to his own. The seeds being procured, his next attention is directed towards the steeping, which is generally considered to be of the utmost importance.

"In this process the wheat is immersed in a large tub of urine or strong brine. By repeated stirrings the light and imperfect grains are brought to the top, and carefully skimmed off: the remainder is taken from the brine, after one night's soaking, and being thinly spread on a floor, it is powdered over with sifted lime, and put into sacks for

use."

Method of sowing.-P. 52. "Wheat is sown, with very few exceptions, and those for experiment on a small scale, in the broadcast manner. Drilling or setting by the hand has been very rarely resorted to here."

Quantity of seed.-P. 59. The quantity sown on an acre varies from twenty to twenty-five gallons."

On covering the seed, or on the adjustment of the Soi!, so as to preserve the seed and the seedling plants against their enemies, during the autumnal and winter seasons,-, nothing appears.

Weeding.-P. 108. "Weeding is very rarely practised in Herefordshire, except the hoeing of thistles on wheat crops in the month of May be considered as an operation of this kind."-The hoeing of wheat does not seem to be a practice, in Herefordshire, as it is in Glocestershire..

Harvesting of wheat.-P. 64 "Wheat is generally reaped by parties of Welshmen from Cardiganshire, and other parts of South Wales; but it is now gradually bocoming a branch of labour amongst our natives."-Again"The companies of Ancient Britons vary in number according to the extent of the work which they have previously contracted for. To four or five men there generally belongs one horse, unincumbered with bridle or saddle; on this they ride in succession, taking little rest, and per

forming

forming their journey with great expedition, One of the party understands enough of the English language and roads, to act as interpreter and guide.

They avoid as much as they can, the society of our natives; are temperate, laborious, and grateful; easily irritated and easily pleased.".

On the Barn or Farm-Yard, management, relating to this prime crop, (or indeed to any other crop, notwithstanding the full-faced farm-yard affixed to the volume) I have found not a syllable.

The produce of wheat is shown in its tillage; and in p. 65.-"The average produce of wheat per statute acre on a good fallow and tolerable soil, has already been esti→ mated at twenty bushels.".

Markets for wheat. This may be seen under the gene→ ral head, aforegoing.

MESLIN.-P. 66, "Rye, which with an equal proportion of wheat, constituted the bread-corn used in religious houses before their suppression, is now sown but sparingly, but grain thus mixed in flour during a time of scarcity or dearness, still retains the name of monk-corn, from the cir cumstances above-mentioned.”*

POTATOES. Sull we find the potatoe a fresh crop, in the Western Department.-P. 66. Potatoes ane gaining ground every year: near towns in particular, they are found a very profitable crop, by sale in the market: and in all situations when plentiful, they are applied to fatten pigs with great success: they are generally boiled for this purpose.

"Their culture is conducted with the plough or the spade, according to the extent of the plantation: the former imple ment is always used, where there is room in setting, cleaning, and getting up."

BULBOUS RAPE.-P. 67. The Swedish turnip has been introduced but a few seasons, and has made very considerable progress; its superior ability to resist the attacks of wet and cold weather, are well known, and form very strong recommendations to its culture.

"The county is indebted to James Woodhouse, Esq. steward under the Governors of Guy's Hospital, for the introduction of this valuable species.

“Mr. Knight and Mr. Davis of Croft Castle, sowed them

also

The term in use, for this mixed, mongrel crop, throughout the northern districts, at least, of the Western Department, is, very properly, mong corn; doubtless, from the obsolete verb Mong, to mix; from which foot, with equal aptitude, has sprung, the epithet mongrel, -and the preposition among.