LITTLE GADDESDEN. 275 



the middle of the highest ridge was drawn a little water- 

 furrow 6 or 9 inches deep. The water-furrows between 

 the ridges were now nearly full of water. A great part 

 of these ploughed fields had been last year sown with 

 beans, and were now left this summer fallow. Most part 

 of the fields lay low, and in watery places. Some of 

 them were now sown with beans, and that in broad cast, 

 and afterwards ploughed down. This land where the beans 

 had just been sown had the summer before been sown 

 with wheat. That this land was low-lying and wet could 

 also be seen from several plants of J uncus A quatilis, rushes, 

 which grew on the very ploughed fields themselves. 



Dikes-jord til godsel pa ang. 



Ditch-earth for manure on the meadows. 



There was at a place close to the road a ditch,* 

 through which a great deal of water had its escape, 

 lopp, which came from the arable fields just described, 

 which there consisted of a black earth, svart jord, 

 This ditch, which had been filled up again by the black 

 earth which the water had carried with it from the arable 

 fields, had just been cleaned out. All the mould, 

 mullen, which had been taken out of it was arranged 

 in a high long bank on the ground alongside of the 

 ditch, where it would now be left to lie for a time in the 

 open air, to be, as it were, tempered. After that it would 

 be carried home to the farm, cast on the dunghill, where 

 it would lie for a time, to draw to itself more juice from 

 the dung, and, after that, would be carried out on to the 

 arable or meadows, and spread out over the grass-sward, 

 where it will incredibly increase the grass growth, 

 especially if rain conveniently happens to fall directly 

 after it has been outspread. 



* Vidi, Sep. 21, 1886, Ivinghoe Aston. [J. L.J 



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