248 On the Agriculture of the Netherlands. 



and, unless the crop be very abundant, they encourage a variety 

 of weeds, which grow between the plants, and shed their seeds 

 before the beans are fit to be harvested. In this third table 

 carrots are introduced in a heavy soil. It is a general opinion 

 that carrots only grow advantageously in loose sandy soils ; but 

 this is a mistake : carrots require a soil pulverised to a considerable 

 depth, to allow them to penetrate deep with their long roots ; but 

 they are finer and larger in a good loam which has been well 

 stirred than in a sand ; and the white Belgian carrot, especially, 

 grows very large in a good heavy loam, provided it can freely 

 shoot downwards. The same may be said of potatoes, which 

 grow abundantly in heavy loams, if they have been well drained. 

 The quantity of seed on a given extent of land in the Nether- 

 lands is much smaller than it is usually in England. This is 

 owing to the greater attention paid to prepare the land for re- 

 ceiving the seed. The greater quantity of manure, especially the 

 liquid portion, hastens the first vegetation. The surface is brought 

 to a finer tilth, by repeated harrowing with light wooden harrows, 

 which are sometimes drawn by a man, and also by the traineau 

 of which a description was given in the first part of this paper. 

 The seed is frequently trodden in by the feet of men and women, 

 so that none of it is lost by the depredation of birds, or dried up 

 by being exposed to the sun's rays, when it has just begun to 

 vegetate. A small layer of mould is frequently shovelled over 

 the seed from the intervals between the beds or stitches, after it 

 has been well soaked with liquid manure a few days before. All 

 this secures the germination of the seed, and accelerates the 

 growth of the plants. 



" When wheat or winter barley succeed potatoes, as is generally the 

 case, the ground is not ploughed, but only harrowed across ; the stitches 

 are marked out by the plough, and the earth in the intervals is spread 

 over the seed. About a bushel and a half is the greatest quantity of 

 seed sown per acre. The average is five pecks. After rape, which is 

 reaped early, there is time for a bastard fallow, which is not lost sight 

 of. The land is ploughed, cross-ploughed, and laid in stitches, and 

 then the wheat is sown in the same manner as before described. It 

 must however be observed, that, as potatoes and rape are very highly 

 manured, no additional manure is put on for the wheat ; but should its 

 appearance in spring not be vigorous, the urine-tank is resorted to to 

 supply the deficiency. 



" Great attention 'is paid to the choice of seed ; the wheat is generally 

 pickled or steeped in salt water, and dried by sifting lime over it before 

 it is sown. Some scientific farmers use vitriol, arsenic, and various 

 preparations, to prevent smut ; but urine, salt, and lime are the most 

 common, and seem to answer the purpose completely. The other grains 

 are not usually prepared by steeping, but sown in their natural state. 



" There are several varieties of rye ; but none appears to possess any 



