188 AGRICULTUHE. 



IV. 



On the Culture of Beans preparatory to a Wheat Crop. 

 Bi/3onN Christian Cuiuven, £v<jr. 31. P, of Work" 

 ington Hall., Cumberland*, 



Siu, 



Cultivation of JL HE offer of a premium by the Society of Arts, &c. 

 k^'t^Sf ^^^ ^^^^ culture of beans preparatory to a wheat crop, 

 being, as I conceive, for the purpose of demonstrating 

 the superiority of green crops over dead fallows; I shall 

 be considered, I flatter myself, as acting consonant to 

 . the views of the Society, in offering a detailed account of 

 my proceedings, more especially as it will appear incon- 

 tcstably, that, if any advantage has resulted from a trial 

 under such very unfavourable circumstances, the most 

 sanguine expectations, may fairly be entertained of the 

 general utility of the system. 



;»9J loa 9v ^J'he plot of ground on which the experiment has been 



made, contains forty-two acres, the soil is a stiff clay, so 

 flat as to afford very little fall for the water. The least 

 continuance of rain renders it unworkable, though it has 

 been drained as far as was practicable. It was broken 

 np in the spring of 1800, and in that and the following 

 year was under oats, both crops very heavy ; in 1802 it 

 was set with potatoes ; in June, they were run through 



► with the potatoe harrow, and made quite flat before they 



could be stitched up again. The wet set in and conti- 

 nued so long, that the crop was in a great measure ruined, 

 and the weeds got to such a head that it was not possible 

 to get the ground clt^aned. It was sown with wheat in 

 November 1802, by great exertions, but it was in so 

 very unfit a situation that the greatest part of the seed 

 perished: above half was re-sown with oats, in April 

 1803, being as soon as it could be got uj)on. Immedi- 

 ately after the crop was got off (early in October 1803) 

 the stubble was turned up ; in many parts the grass was 



* This communication was made to the Society of Arts, in 

 three letters to the Secretary, which I have here given without 

 abridgement. 



SO 



