264 ^grkuhural Intelligeitce — England* Ailgi 



Sowing wheat npon the flagcr Is very much praftlfed in this county ; 

 ?>ut, owing to the long and fcvere drought after the late harveft, and 

 the confequent impoflibillty of plou^^hing up the grafs leas, in the early 

 part of the feafon, this operation was perforrticd unufually late ; and the 

 fevere froft, finding the plant throughout the winter unproteded by 

 a friendly covering of fnow, injured it very materially. The plants 

 upon the light lands ftand very thin, confeq .'ently liible to ftill far- 

 ther injury from njiJcvv and high winds, and not at prefent to he eili* 

 mated at more th:Jin two thirds of a crop ; but upon the heavy lands 

 the wheat certainly promifes to be very good. No part of the harveft 

 can be early. 



The winter vetches did not efcape with lefs injury than the wheats ; 

 but the fummer vetches promife, howevef, a luxuriant crop, that may 

 make amends for the penury of the elder branch of the family*. Vht 

 artificial grafles, though a full plant, are very fhort, and will yield but 

 a fcanty crop of hay. 



Turnip fowing will be chiefly finifhed in the courfe of this week? 

 fome, early fown, owing to heavy cold fliowers, have failed : the lands 

 muft be ploughed and fown again : but the weather, during the laft 

 fortnight, has proved particularly favourable, and the feed ve>jetatc3 

 very expeditioufly ; a mod defirable circumfrancc, as the plant acquires 

 fhe rough leaf early, and by that means foon bids defiance to one of its 

 molt formidable enemies, the fly. Various are the manures ufed, and 

 equally various the modes in which this valuable plant is cultivated J 

 It certainly dcftrves all the attention it receives ; for if it fails, very 

 fmall are our hopes of a productive crop of barley ; we may juftly fay 

 h U iht Jim qua non. The drill fyftem is very prevalent, at diftances 

 of ten, twelve, and eighteen inches ; the latter are fometimes moulded 

 up with the plough, when they have nearly attained their full growth, 

 to preferve them from the froft ; and when the operation is fliilfully 

 performed, it is generally attended with very encouraging fuccels. The 

 Svvedifii variety of the fpecies is now much culti%'ated and efleemed % 

 the good qualities afcribed t» it arc thefe — >it is very firm, and confe- 

 quently heavy ; more nutritious than the common fort ; bids defiance to 

 the fevereft winters, feldom or never rotting, though previoufly injured 

 by the tread or bite of bead or game, the latter being particularly fond 

 of it, and will travel a confiderable dilUnce in fearch thereof, refufing 

 to tade the common fort In the way ; a preference which, in the neighs 

 bourhood of much game^ is a ferious inconvenience to the grower. 

 Oil cake is a manure very frequently ufed for turnips, fown either broad- 

 caft, a ton to four acres, and ploughed in before the feed is fown ; of 

 by a drill machine, which is made to deliver, from different cups, the 

 cake reduced to dud, and the feed into the fame funnel ; thus lodging 

 the feed in the midd of a bed of manure ; the probable confequence and 

 great advantage of which is, quick vegetation ; the bed fecunty, as 

 before obferved, againft the depredations of the fly. A confiderable 



faving 



