HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [37 



but when the full blossom is attained, the ground should be 

 ploughed as the crop is cleared. 



Buckwheat, called here French wheat (polygonum fagopyrum), 

 has been grown both for ploughing under as manure, and for a crop. 

 This plant is riot considered good enough to cultivate, except on 

 new inclosed or unimproved land, where ploughing it in may in- 

 crease the vegetable matter ; it is, however, good enough for game 

 and poultry, as well as swine. Dr. Withering prefers to it for 

 culture the black bindweed, (bearbine of the farmers, polygonum 

 convolvulus}, the seeds of which, he says, are produced in greater 

 quantity, and the plant bears cold better. 



Hemp and Flax are grown in this county, but upon a small scale : 

 hemp generally in small yards, or in the gardens of cottagers, or 

 sometimes an acre or two may be grown by a farmer after turnips ; 

 and some few instances have been known of large crops upon a 

 deep black peat, well drained. It should be sown the beginning 

 of May. 



Flax is generally grown upon a turf on one ploughing, and should 

 be sown in March or the beginning of April, two bushels and a half 

 of seed per acre. The land should be well harrowed before sowing 

 the seed as well as after, and rolled, and harrowed again very fine : 

 care should be taken that the seed be ripe when pulled, it being a 

 valuable part of the crop. The chaff of flax is excellent food for 

 horses, mixed with oats or beans. A middling crop will produce 

 30 stone of flax per acre, and a full crop considerably more. 



Turnips. Their usual culture has been before stated, to which 

 may be added, that they have been drilled-in upon the Northum- 

 berland system, both common and Swedish, by several public- 

 spirited gentlemen, particularly by Sir John Wrottesley, and Sir 

 George Pigot, who have cultivated considerable portions of their 

 own estates. The system is thus managed, as detailed by a gen- 

 tleman who practises it. After well working the land, and laying 

 on lime four tons per acre, the lime being spread and well harrowed- 

 in, the land is stricken into two furrow ridges, about two feet from 

 middle to middle ; the dung cart is then applied, and a row of well- 

 reduced dung laid along every fifth hollow, at the rate of about ten 

 tons per acre ; this is immediately divided and distributed along 

 the hollows, and another plough follows to cover the dung by 

 dividing the ridges upon it in single furrows. The drill machine 

 follow*, drawn by one horse, going along one of the furrows : a 

 roller presses down two ridges, one on each side the horse's path. 



