Book VI. TEAZLE. 853 



5341. The soils oh tvhich the 'teazle grows sti-ongyt, 

 are deep, loamy clays, not over rich. The situation 

 should be rather elevated, airy and exposed to the south. 

 In a rotation it may occupy the place of a green and corn 

 crop, as the first year the plants are treated like turnips, 

 and the second the crop is ripened. The soil should be 

 ploughed deep, and well comminuted by cross plough- 

 ings, or stirrings with pronged implements, as the culti- 'M 

 vator. 



5342. The sowing season is the beginning of April : the 

 quantity of seed is from one to two pecks per acre, and 

 in quality it should be fresh and plump. The mode of 

 sowing is almost always broad-cast, but no crop is better 

 adapted for being grown in drills, as the plants require 

 hoeing and thinning. The drills may be either sown on 

 ridgelets or a flat surface, in the manner of turnips, or by- 

 ribbing. The distance between the rows xfiay be from 

 eighteen inches to two feet. In Essex, carraway is com- 

 monly sown with the teazle crop; but this is reckoned a bad plan. 



5343. The after-culture of this crop consists the first year in hoeing and stirring the 

 soil, and in thinning out the plants to the distance of one foot every way, if sown broad- 

 cast, or to the distance of six inches if sown in rows. Vacancies may be filled up by 

 transplanting ; and a separate plantation may be made with the thinnings, but these 

 never attain the same vigor as the seedlings. The culture the second year consists also of 

 hoeing, stirring, and weeding, till the plants begin to shoot. When the teazle is grown 

 broad-cast, the intervals between the plants are dug by means of spades which have long 

 narrow blades, not more than about four inches in breadth, having the length of sixteen or 

 eighteen inches. With these the land is usually worked over in the intervals of the plants 

 three or four times during the summer months; and in the course of the following 

 winter, as about the latter end of February, the land between the plants is to be again 

 worked over by the narrow spades, care being taken that none of the mould falls into 

 the hearts of the plants. And again about the middle of May, when they begin to 

 spindle, another digging over is given, the earth being raised round the root-stems of 

 the plants, in order to support and prevent them from being blown down by the wind. 

 Some cultivators perform more frequent diggings, that the ground may be rendered 

 cleaner and more mellow ; consequently the growth of the plants will be the more effec- 

 tually promoted. This business, in Essex, has usually the name of spaddling, and is 

 executed with great despatch by laborers that are accustomed to perform it. 



5344. The taking of the teazle crop, when no regard is had for seed, commences about the middle of 

 July, when the blossoms begin to fall from the top, or terminating heads of flowers. It is the best method 

 to have the heads cut as they become ripe ; but the work is mostly executed at three different times, at 

 the distances of about ten days or a fortnight from each other. It is performed by means of a knife, con- 

 trived for the purpose, with a short blade and a string attached to the haft. This last is done in order that 

 it may be hung over the hand. A pair of strong gloves is likewise necessary. Thus prepared, the laborer 

 cuts offthe ripe heads along the rows or 4incs with about nine inches of stem, and ties them up in handfuls 

 with the stem of one that is more perfectly ripened. And on the evening of the day on which they are 

 cut, they should be put into a dry shed ; and when the weather is fine and the air clear, they should be 

 taken out and exposed to the sun daily till they become perfectly dry. Much care must, however, be taken 

 that no rain falls upon them. In doing this, some make use of long small stakes or poles, on which these 

 handfuls are hung during the time of their preparation. 



5345. As soon as they are completely dried, they should be laid up in a dry room, in a close manner, till 

 they are become tough and of a bright color, and ready for use. They should then be sorted or separated into 

 three different kinds, by opening each of the small bundles. These are distinguished into kings, middlings, 

 and scrubs, according to their different qualities. They are afterwards, the author of The Somerset 

 Jieport says, made into packs, which, of the first sort, contain nine thousand heads, but when of the 

 second twenty thousaiid; the third is a sort of very inferior value. By some, before forming them into 

 packs, they are done up into what are termed staves, by means of split sticks, when they are ready 

 for sale. 



5346. The produce of teazle varies from ten to fifteen packs on the acre ; nine packs 

 of kings, nineteen of middlings, and two of scrubs, are reckoned a large crop, with a 

 great bulk of haulm. Often, however, the crop fails. 



5347. The use of the heads of the teazle has been already mentioned. Tlic haulm is 

 of no use but for burning as manure. Parkinson observes, that this is a sort of crop 

 that may be grown to advantage on many lands ; in a rotation as a fallow to prepare for 

 wheat, and by burning the straw and refuse stuff after the crop is reaped, it will be found 

 not to impoverish, but rather improve the land. In their young state, the teazle plants 

 stand the winter without danger ; and are a good crop for clearing land of all weeds, 

 from their lateness in the process of hoeing, there being few weeds that vegetate at so ad^ 

 vanced a season : on all these accounts they become an advantageous crop for the farmer. 



5348. To save seed, leave a few of the very best plants uncropped, and then when the 

 seed is ripe cut off only the largest and terminating heads, from which the seed is easily^ 

 separated by beating with flails, and cleaned by the winnowing machine, or a sieve. 



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