FARMERS' REGISTER— SHIRLEY FARM. 



105 



particularly in the districts of Courtray and Men- 

 in, is that of tlax, of which they produce an im- 

 mense quantity, and of the finest kind. The ex- 

 pense of this culture is great, the labor bestowed 

 on it in weeding, is almost uninterrupted, and the 

 damage it does to the soil in exhausting its vegeta- 

 ble juices, is beyond measure; but in return, a 

 good crop will almost buy the ground. To reco- 

 ver the soil after a crop of flax, clover and sper- 

 g uleare sown on it, and turned down for manure. 



The plough used for this fine light soil, has a little 

 wheel and an immoveable sower: one horse serves to 

 draw it, or two at most in the strongest of this 

 ground. 



Lands uncultivated, and fields lying fallow, are 

 here unknown. There are few woods in this part 

 of the country ; but all the fields are enclosed Avith 

 hedges, and thick set with trees, insomuch thattlic 

 whole face of the country, seen from any little 

 lieight, seems one continued wood. 



The agriculture in JMaritime Flanders is much 

 the same with that now spoken of, as the soils of 

 each bear a great resemblance ; only that near the 

 sea is more moist, tlie meadows are more exten- 

 sive, and little or no flax or spergule are there 

 cultivated. If there be any material difference be- 

 tween these soils, it consists m the greater quanti- 

 ty of marine substances, which enter into the com- 

 position of the soil of Maritime Flanders, than of 

 that in the inner part of the country, and these add 

 to it an additional degree of fertility. 



The castlery of Furns, and the environs of Dix- 

 mude, abound more in excellent meadows than 

 any other part of the low countries : the number of 

 horned cattle fed there is immense, as is also the 

 quantity of butter produced and sold, chiefly at 

 JDixmude market; and it is of the best quality, 

 both for richness and keeping. 



The Pays de JVaes. 



The land of Waes is the district lying on the 

 north side of the Scheldt, between Ghent and Ant- 

 werp ; it is a perfect flat, and is reckoned the rich- 

 est part of Flanders. The original soil was pure 

 sand, and its present state of fertility, is owing to 

 the great number of its industrious inhabitants, 

 who cultivate a few acres round their dwellings, 

 of which, for the most part, they are proprietors. 

 The natural meadows are rid), and the great num- 

 ber of cows which the inhabitants keep, furnish 

 manure in great abundance : But they ^re not 

 content with this alone ; great quantities of turf- 

 ashes are brought thither from Holland, as also a 

 great part of the street-dirt and dung from Brus- 

 sels, Antwerp, and Ghent, besides what is had 

 from the many rich and populous towns and villa- 

 ges, with which this district is covered. 



The farms being so very small, few horses are 

 kept in the land of Waes ; the ground is chiefly 

 worked with the spade and hoe, which the extreme 

 lightness of the soil renders easy. If a jjlough be 

 used, it is of the most simple kind, without v/heels, 

 and drawn by one horse. All these contribute to- 

 gether to give a richness and fertility to the soil of 

 this tract, which surpasses almost what can be 

 imagined. No spot lies uncultivated. 



The common method of culture is as follows : a 

 bunder of land is manured, once in seven years, 

 with from forty to fifty cart loads of dung, and 

 town dirt. The first year it is sov/n with hemp; 

 the second with flax; the third with wheat; the 



Vol. I.— 14 



fourth and fifth M'ith rye ; the sixth with oats ; and 

 the seventh with clover, Turkey wheat, turnips, 

 or carrots. Fallow ground is unknown here. 



Spergule is sometimes sown about mid August, 

 on land that has borne wheat; and in October the 

 cows are put into it. The spergule which they culti- 

 vate for seed is sown in March, and reaped in June, 



It is to be observed, that the riches of the land 

 of Waes consist chiefly in the culture of flax and 

 hemp ; the other crops being in general for their own 

 use, and for home consumption, which indeed is ve- 

 ry considerable, on account of the great population 

 of this district. The produce of their flax and hemp 

 is so considerable, that in a good year they are reck- 

 oned to amount almost to the value of the ground. 



The agriculture of the land of Waes, passes, in- 

 disputably, for the most complete and perfect in 

 all the Netherlands. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 LEAVES from a TRAVEIiLERS' NOTE BOOK. 



..4 Walk through Shirley Farm, J;''ov. 2BUi, 1832. 

 * * * * # * 



One of the early steps taken by Mr. Carter for 

 the improvement of Sliirley, Avas the reverse of 

 our general practice of extended cultivation. — 

 From about seven hundred acres, the previous ex- 

 tent of the arable land, he reduced the whole space 

 of highland subject to tillage to four hundred acres, 

 divided into four fields, besides some twenty acres 

 in lots which are mostly kept in grass. The re- 

 maining body of three Imndred acres, the poorest 

 of the farm, formed a standing pasture, until late- 

 ly, when it was again brought under cultivation, 

 and subjected to the general rotation of crops. — 

 The purchase and substitution of two hundred acres 

 of poor land for standing pasture, made this change 

 practicable and expedient. A tide swamp of 

 eighty five acres was also added to the extent for 

 cultivation eight years ago, when it was first diked 

 and drained. This has been under corn every 

 year since, and by its abundant product of grain, 

 and of forage and litter for manure, permits corn 

 to be excluded altogetlier from the general rota- 

 tion, which is as follows : 



1st year — Wheat on clover lay — not mowed 

 previously, and but partially grazed. 



2d.— Oats. 



3d. — W heat on oat stubble ploughed in, and clo- 

 ver seed sowed. 



4th. — Clover — to be turned in for wheat in au- 

 tumn, as before. 



The ploughing of the clover land is begun in 

 the first moist state of the soil in August, and con- 

 tinued usually until October, before it is completed. 

 The ploughing is as deep as can be done by three 

 good horses to each plough. All the manure is 

 given just before the latest of this deep ploughing, 

 and usually serves for fifty acres, including the 

 summer running cow-pens. This is the only 

 deep ploughing given to prepare for the crop; but 

 shaflow ploughing and repeated harrowings are 

 given as required before and after sowing the 

 wheat. 



' I should suppose that but few soils could resist 

 exhaustion under this severe rotation, even with 

 all the aid here derived from manui-e and general 

 good management : though Mr. Carter's observa- 

 tion and experience have led him to form a very 

 different opinion. He thinks that even on inferior 

 soils, with proper attention to vegetable manures, 



