rdo4^ On the A^ru-ulture of the Netherlands, y^\^ 



In the hrgefl: of thefe farmSj there are feldom niore than three 

 or four horfes, and ten or twelve cows. The farmer '-!..( lays 

 from twenty to thirty wajjjijjon loads of dung for three ghrm'-ts of 

 land, and only fifteen or fixteen loads, if it be rtrect-dirt from the 

 great towns, or turf-alhes brought by water from Holland. 



Thefe lands produce grain of every fort in great abundance, 

 as alfo every kind of efculent roots, which are given to the cat- 

 tle in winter, along with their hay. The meadows along the 

 rivers, and in other parts of this rich and moift foil, are fupe- 

 riorly good, and the clover is the rnoft luxuriant I ever faw. It 

 is ufual to fpread, in the fpring,' fixty facks of turf-afhes on 

 three ghemets of clover fown the preceding year, which proves 

 an excellent manure to it. 



A great branch of culture in thefe parts, and particularly in 

 the dillrids of Courtray and Menin, is that of flax, of which 

 they produce an immenfe quantity, and of the fined kind. The 

 expence of this culture is great, the labour beftowed on it in 

 weeding, is almoll uninterrupted, and the damage it does to the 

 foil in exhaulting its vegetable juices, is beyond meafure \ but 

 jn return, a good crop will almoll buy the ground. To recover 

 the foil after a crop of flax, clover and fpergule are fown on it, 

 and turned down for manure. 



The plough ufed for this fine light foil, has a little wheel and 

 an immoveable fower: one horfe ferves to draw itj or two at 

 moft in the ftrongeft of this ground. 



Lands uncultivated, and fields lying fallow, are here unknown. 

 There are few woods in this part of the country ; but all the 

 fields are enclofed with hedges, and thick fet with trees, info- 

 much that the whole face of the country, feen from any little 

 height, fecms one continued wood. 



The agriculture in Maritime Flanders is much the fame with 

 that now fpoken of, as the foils of each bear a great refemblance ; 

 only that near the fea is more moirt, the meadows are more ex- 

 tenfive, and little or no flax or fpergule are there cultivated. If 

 there be any material ditference between thefe foils, it confifts 

 in the greater quantity of marine fubitances, which enter into 

 the compofition of the foil of Maritime Flander-s, than of that 

 in the inner part of the country, and thefe add to it an addi- 

 tional degree of fertility. 



The caftlery of Furns, and the environs of Dixmude, abound 

 more in excellent meadows than any other part of the Low 

 Countries: the number of horned cattle fed there is immenfe, 

 as is alfo the quantity of butter produced and fold, chiefly at 

 Dixmude market ; and it is of the beft quality, both for richnefs 

 and keeping. 



X4 TJ^ 



