52 SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Oat-sowing is also carried on during Marcli and April, 

 the best time being early in March. This crop is gene- 

 rally sown after grass, as it grows better on old grass 

 laud than any other crop. It is in some cases sown 

 after turnips, or other green crops, when the soil is of a 

 nature that seems better adapted to oats than to wheat 

 or barley. Oats are generally sown broad-cast. When 

 they follow grass, they are very apt to be over-run with 

 thistles and other weeds ; therefore, the weed-hook 

 should be put in use before the noxious plants have 

 time to perfect their seed. 



Bean-sowing is another important employment of 

 spring ; and this commences the earliest of all. As 

 early as the land can possibly be prepared in spring, 

 even in February, the bean-sowers should 

 be busy. In many places with which the 

 writer is familiar, beans are always planted 

 by means of the dibble in regular lines. In 

 this employment women and children take 

 part, and their operations are very pleasant 

 to witness, being the first general field-work 

 to which they are called in spring. But in 

 other cases, the beans are sown by a small 

 machine, called a bean-drill, which is pushed 

 forward by the workman. A larger drill of 

 the same description is made to sow three 

 I rows at once, and is drawn by a horse. 

 Han-owing follows, and when the beans 

 have made some little progress, horse-hoe- 

 ing, or single-horse ploughing, between the 

 DIBI LE. rows, is beneficial to the crop, and increases 

 the fertility of the soil. A bean-field ought 

 to be as nicely kept as a garden, and the frequent, 

 hoeings and effectual clearing away of weeds which 

 are necessary to this end, leave the ground in very 

 good condition for wheat or barley. After the last hoe- 

 ing, many farmers drive the double-mould-board plough 

 along the centre of the intervals, so as to lay up the 



