AGRICULTURE. 



ether considerations, will be resorted to, 

 previously to the decision upon either of 

 these methods. Tije common little horse- 

 bean has the advantage of being 1 more 

 marketable than any other. Beans thrive 

 upon light loams better than has been ge- 

 nerally imagined. The soils, however, 

 generally applied to their culture, are all 

 the strong and heavy ones. Wherever 

 they can be cultivated, the farmer ought 

 to have them. They do not exhaust the 

 soil. Wheat is prepared for by them, 

 perhaps, better than by an* other mode. 

 They preserve their upright attitude to 

 the latest period, admitting of horse- 

 hoeing to the very last. The ground 

 is well shaded by them from the sun ; 

 and, if they are harvested favourably, 

 their straw is valuable, and, at all events, 

 may be converted into admirable dung. 

 By a bad crop of peas, the land is often 

 filled with weeds; but though a crop of 

 beans should be extremeh- had, the land 

 may nevertheless be in the highest state 

 of cleanness. The quantity of seed dif- 

 fers according to the variety of the grain. 

 About two bushels of the horse-heans per 

 acre, in rows equi-distaut, at eighteen 

 inches, is a proper allowance, and Febru- 

 ary is the month in which they should be 

 put in. 



Buck-wheat is known to a vast majority 

 of the farmers of this kingdom only by 

 name. It has, however, numerous excel- 

 lencies, is of an enriching nature, and pre- 

 pares well for wheat or any other crop. 

 One bushel of seed is sufficient to sow an 

 acre, which is only about the fourth part 

 of the expence of seed barley. It is sold 

 at the same price as barley, and is equal 

 to it for the fatting of hogs and poultry 

 The end of May is the proper season for 

 its being sown, and grass seeds may be 

 sown with it, if the practice should be 

 thought in any instance eligible, with more 

 advantage than with any other grain, un- 

 less barley may be excepted. Buck-wheat 

 may be sown even so late as the first week 

 in July, a circumstance, by which the 

 period of tillage is considerably protract- 

 ed, and an ameliorating crop may thus 

 be produced, after the usual period has, 

 from any unavoidable or casual occur- 

 rence, been neglected. 



Potatoes form a most important article 

 of food, both for the human species and 

 for cattle, and are an inestimable substi- 

 tute for bread formed of grain, the best 

 resource in periods of scarcity of wheat ; 

 and, happily, when the crops of grain fail, 

 through redundant moisture, the potatoe 

 is far from being equally injured, and 



sometimes is even benefited by the wet 

 season. The choice of soil for the culture 

 of this root is of prime importance. Po- 

 tatoes never make palatable nourishment 

 for man, if yrown in a clay soil, or in rank, 

 black loam, although in these circum- 

 stances they are well fitted for cattle, and 

 relished by them, and also produced in 

 great abundance. They grow to perfec- 

 tion for human food in gravelly and sandy 

 soils. The drill should be universally 

 preferred for their cultivation. In Sep- 

 tember, or October, the field intended for 

 them should have successively a rousing 

 furrow, a cross braking, and the opera- 

 tion of the cleaning harrow ; and being 

 formed into three-feet ridges, should re- 

 main in that state till April, which is the 

 proper season for planting this root. Af- 

 ter cross braking them, to raise in a small 

 degree the furrows, well rotted horse- 

 dung should be laid along them, on which 

 the roots should be laid at eightinches dis- 

 tance. The plough should then pass once 

 round every row, to cover them. As soon 

 s they appear above ground, the plough 

 should be passed round them a second 

 time, laying on the plants about an inch, 

 or somewhat more, of mould, in addition. 

 When they have attained the height of six 

 inches, the plough should go twice along 

 the middle of each interval, in opposite 

 directions, laying earth first to one row, 

 and then to another ; and, to apply it more 

 closely to the roots, a spade should after- 

 wards be used to cover four inches of the 

 plants, and bury all the weeds. The 

 wevds which arise afterwards must be ex- 

 tirpated by the hand, as the hoes would 

 go too deep, and damage the roots of the 

 plants. From ten to fifteen bushels will 

 be sufficient to plant an acre, the produce 

 of which may probably be three hundred 

 bushels. Sets should be cut for some few 

 before they are planted, with at least one 

 eye to each, and not in very small pieces, 

 and the depredations of the grub upon 

 them may be effectually prevented by- 

 scattering on the surface of the land about 

 two bushels per acre of lime, fresh slak- 

 ed. The most certain method of taking 

 them up is, to plough once round every 

 row, at the distance of four inches, after 

 which they may easily be raised, by a 

 three-clawed fork, rather than by a spade, 

 and scarcely a single one will by this 

 practice be left in the ground. They may 

 with care be preserved till the ensuing 

 crop, particularly by the allowance ne- 

 cessary till April being closely covered in 

 the barn with dry and pressed down straw, 

 while the remainder for the ensuing- part 



