AGRICULTURE. 



tother considerations, will be resorted t<i. 

 tr. decision upon either of 

 lie common little horse- 

 bean has the :uhan'age of being 1 more 

 maiketabie than anv other Means thrive 



upon light loams better than hasbeen ge- 



m-ra'ly imagined. Tin- soils, ho 



iliy applied to theircultnre, are ull 

 tig an<l hea\y ones. \\ I 

 tht v e.m he cultivated, the farmer ought 

 tohaxethcm. They do not exhaust tin- 

 soil. Wheat is prepared for by them, 

 perhaps, better than by any other mode. 

 They preserve their upright attitude to 

 the lateit period, admitting 1 of horse- 

 hoeinjc to the verv hist. The ground 

 is well shaded by them from the sun: 

 and, if they are harvested favourably, 

 their straw is valuable, and, at all events, 

 may be converted into admirable dung. 

 By a bad crop of peas, the land is often 

 filled with v, eeds; but though a crop of 

 beans should be extremely bail, the land 

 may nevertheless be in the highest state 

 f>f elt :mness. Tin.- quantity of seed dif- 

 ''nl : ng to the variety of the grain. 

 About two bushels of the horse-beans pel- 

 acre, in rows equi-distant, at eighteen 

 is a proper allowance, and J-Vbru- 

 ; iie month in which they should be 

 put in. 



Huck-wheatis known to a vast majority 

 of the farmers of this kingdom only by- 

 name. It has, however, numerous excel- 

 lencies, is of an enriching nature, and pre- 

 pares well for wheat or any other crop. 

 One bushel of seed is sufficient to sow an 

 acre, which is only about the fourth part 

 of the expense of seed barley. It is sold 

 at the same price as barley, and is equal 

 to it for the fatting of hogs and poultry. 

 The md of May is the proper season for 

 its being sown, and grass seeds may be 

 sown with it, if the practice should be 

 thought in any instance eligible, with more 

 advantage than with any other grain, un- 

 'icy mayhec\e.-;>t. d. Muck-wheat 

 may be sown even so late as the first w< ck 

 in July, a circumstance by which the. 

 period of tillage is considerably protract- 

 ed, and an a meliorating crop may thus 

 be produced, after tin- usual period has, 

 from any unavoidable or casual occur- 

 rence, been neglected. 



Potatoes form a most important article 

 of food, both for the human species and 

 '.e, and are an inestimable substi- 

 tute for bread formed of grain, the best 

 resource in periods of scarcity of wheat; 

 and, happily, when the crops of grain fail, 

 hrough redundant moisture, the potato? 

 is far from being equally injured, and 



sometimes is even benefited by the w. f 



The choice of soil forthe< 

 of this mot is of prime importance. Po- 

 tatoes never make palatable nourishment 

 for man, if grown in a clay soil, or in rank, 

 black loam, although in these circum- 

 stances they are well fitted for cattle, and 

 ri-lished by them, and also produced in 

 great abundance. They grow to perfec- 

 tion for human food in gravelly and sandy 

 soils. The drill should be universally 

 preferred for their cultivation. In Sep- 

 tember, or October, the field intended for 

 1 liem should have successively a rousing; 

 furrow, a cross braking, and the opera- 

 tion of the cleaning harrow; and being 

 formed into three-feet ridges, should re- 

 main in that state till April, which is the 

 proper season for planting this root. Af- 

 ter cross braking them, to raise in a small 

 degree the furrows, well-rotted horse- 

 dung should be laidalongthem, on which 

 the roots should be laid at eight inches dis- 

 tance. The plough should then pass once 

 round every row, to cover them. As soon 

 as they appear above ground, the plough 

 should be passed round them a second 

 time, laying on the plants about an inch, 

 or somewhat more, of mould, in addition. 

 M hen they have attained the height of six 

 inches, the plough should go twice along 

 the middle of each interval, in opposite 

 directions, laying earth first to one row, 

 and then to another; and, to apply it more 

 closely to the roots, a spade'should after- 

 wards be used to cover four inches of the 

 plants, and bury all the weeds. The 

 weeds which arise afterwards must be ex- 

 tirpatedby the hand, as the hoes would 

 go too dee]>, and damage the rootsof the 

 plants. From ten to fifteen bushels will 

 be sufficient to plant an acre, the produce 

 of which may probably be three hundred 

 bushels. Sets should be cut for some few 

 In i"ii]-,- tiny are planted, with at least one 



. and not in very small p 

 and tin 'His of the grub upon 



them may be effectually prevented by 

 : ng on t be. surface of thcland about 

 two bushel* p'-r :cre of lime, fresh slak- 

 ed. The mostcertain method of taking 

 them up is, to plough once round 

 row, at the distance of four 

 which they m.v easily lie rai^-d, by ;1 

 thrcc-clavxedfork, rather than by a 

 and scarcely a single one will by this 

 e be left in the ground. They may 

 with care be preserved till the. ensuing 



'he remain 



