2(v3 Cultivation of Arable Land. Weld Method of Sowing. 



but in the former periods, it is moftly fown in conjunction with other crops. But 

 uhen fown alone at the latter feafon, the produce is in general the moft abundant. 

 In Norfolk they fow it in April with barley in the proportion of from one quar 

 ter to half a peck to the acre, in the manner of clover, and frequently with clover at 

 the fame time, to be mown or fed in the following year after it is pulled. 



This fort of crop is commonly fown broadcaft, whether it be grown in mixture 

 with other plants or alone; and as the feeds are of a very fmall fize, it requires an 

 expert feedfman to perform the bufinefs with regularity and exactnefs; which is 

 a matter of much importance to the fuccefs of the crop, as, where the plants (land 

 too cloftly together, much unnecefTary trouble and expenfe muft be incurred in the 

 thinning them out by the hoe afterwards; and where they ftand too thinly upon 

 the ground, there muft be great lofs from the deficiency of plants. In order that 

 the fowing may be executed with more regularity, it is the cuftom with fome cul 

 tivators to blend fome other fubftance with the feed that has nearly the fame weight, 

 fuch as that which has been juft noticed, as, in this way, they fuppofe it to be 

 effected with greater facility and difpatch. 



Where the weld is grown with ocher forts of crops, as barley, buck- wheat, beans, 

 peas, clover, or grafs feeds, it is put in after them; in fome cafes immediately, 

 but in others, not till fome time has elapfed. With the firft and fecond, when 

 fown fo late as the beginning of May, it is moftly the practice of the beft cul 

 tivators to put it in directly afterwards, giving the land a flight harrowing with 

 a very light clofe-tined harrow, to cover it.* With fome, the barley being put 

 in under furrow, the weld feed is immediately fown upon the furface, lightly har 

 rowed in, and then rolled. f But where the barley feeding is performed fo early as 

 March, or the beginning,of April, the fowing of the weld feed is beft deferred 

 till May, when it may be difperfed over the land, and left in that manner to be 

 waflied in by the rains.J But with beans and peas, it is often put in before the 

 laft breaking or hoeing of the crops in the latter end of June, or beginning of the 

 following month. When cultivated with clover and grafs feeds, it is fometimes 

 put in at the fame time with them j but it is probably a better practice to delay it 

 till fome time afterwards, as both thefe crops require to be fown at too early a 

 period for this plant. 



Where no other fort of crop is grown with the weld, the ufual method is that 

 of fowing it evenly over the furface of the land, and covering it in by harrowing 



* Synopfis of Hufbandry. + Annals of Agriculture, vol. I, + Ibid. 



Corrcfted Agricultural Report ol&quot; Kent, 



