154 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINNAEUS 



be cultivated in a manner that appeared extraordinary 

 to me. After the field has lain fallow three or four 

 years it is sown with one part rye and two parts 

 barley mixed together. The seed is sown in spring, as 

 soon as the earth is capable of tillage. The barley 

 grows rank, ripens its ears, and is reaped. The rye 

 meanwhile goes into leaf, but shoots up no stem, as the 

 barley smothers it and retards its growth. After the 

 latter is reaped the rye advances in growth, and ripens 

 the year following without any further cultivation, the 

 crop being very abundant. The inhabitants here also 

 make broad thin cakes of bread. The flour used for 

 this purpose commonly consists of one part of barley 

 and three of chaff. When they wish to have it very 

 good and the country is rich in barley, they add but 

 two portions of chaff to one of corn. The cakes are not 

 suffered to remain long in the oven, but require to be 

 turned once. Only one is baked at a time, and the fire 

 is swept towards the sides of the oven with a large 

 bunch of cock's feathers. The coverlets of the beds at 

 this place are made of hare-skins. To-day I met with 

 no flowers except the wood-sorrel, which here is the 

 primula, or first flower of spring. The lily of the valley 

 and strawberry-leaved bramble were plentifully in leaf. 

 1 May 22. Apple trees grow between Veda and 

 Hornoen, but none are to be seen further north. No kind 

 of willow is to be met with throughout Angermanland, 

 nor is the hazel. Cherries do not always ripen, but 

 potatoes thrive very well. Tobacco and hops both 



