Cultivation of Arable Land. Woad After-culture of Crops of. 2/&amp;gt;7 



fee that they are not deftroyed by the turnip-fly^ or the frofts in thofe of the more 

 early fowings ; as, where that is the cafe, the land Hhould be immediately fown again. 

 In fome places it is not uncommon to fovv the greateft part of the crops two or 

 three times over. And in the very late fowings, where the crops are thin on the 

 ground, it is fometimes a practice to render them more thick by forming holes 

 with a triangular hoe in the vacant fpaces, and directing perfons to drop feeds into 

 them by the hand :* women and children may be employed in this bufinefs. This 

 mode is often practifed for the late fpring fowings till the beginning of June, or 

 even later. 



After-culture. As the goodnefs of the woad plants depends upon the luxuriance 

 of their growth and the thicknefs of their leaves, much attention is neceflary to the 

 after-management of the crops. In the fpring- fown crops, as well as thofe that are 

 put-ia in the latter part of thefummer, the firft hoeings Ihould be performed as 

 foon as the plants are fully diftingui (liable ; as by this means the weeds will not only 

 be prevented from retarding the vegetation of the plants, but thefe, by being thinned 

 out to greater diftances, will be more at liberty to advance, and become vigorous in 

 their firft growth, which is a matter of great importance to the fuccefs of the crop. 

 In the fecond hoeings, which (hould be given in the courfe of four or five weeks 

 after the firft, the plants are to be thinned out to the full diftances at which they 

 are to (land, which may be fix or fevcn inches, or more, according to the ferti 

 lity of the foil, always leaving fufficient fpaces to prevent the plants from being 

 in any way crowded. This bufinefs is in fome cafes executed in the fame man 

 ner as for turnips, by means of hand hoes ; but in others it is performed by fmall 

 ftiortfpuds, managed with one hand, while the other is employed in clearing away 

 the weeds ; the labourers, who are moftly women and children, kneeling while they 

 are at work. After this nothing more is done till the firft cropping of the leaves 

 has been performed, when the plants are again immediately well Deeded ; and 

 after each cropping the fame operation is had recourfe to ; the extent of crop 

 cleared in the day being, in moft cafes, weeded before night.f 



In the late mode of fowing, after the fecond weeding in October, nothing 

 further will be requifite till the fpring, about the middle of April, when the work 

 fiiould be again well executed, the mould being fully ftirred about the root* 

 of the plants, in order that they may derive the fulleft advantage from the pro- 

 cefs. This will be fufficient to keep the plants clean till the taking of the firft 

 crop j after which the plants muft be again weeded, and the fame operation 



* Corrected Agricultural Report of Lincolnflii re. f Ibid. 



VOL. II. L 1 



