Farming of Lincolnshire. 



339 



from 155. to 2bs. ; bat there are exceptions both above and below 

 these amounts. As the land has litde depth or natural stren^-th, 

 similar means to those employed on the Wolds are requisite to in- 

 crease and maintain its fertility ; and every farmer feeds off his 

 turnips with sheep, buys oilcake to be consumed with his straw 

 for manure, and applies large dressings of bones and other arti- 

 ficials to his land. The farms and fields on Lincoln Heath are 

 probably on a much less extensive scale than those of the Wolds, 

 but the standard of cultivation is very high, and, perhaps, in no 

 respect inferior to that of the chalk district. Toward the southern 

 extremity of the Heath land, in the neighbourhood of Grantham, 

 a 6-field system of cropping is much practised, though it is now 

 fast ffivincr wav to a 4-field course : the former beins", 1st, tur- 

 nips; 2nd, barley; 3rd, seeds; 4th, seeds; 5th, wheat; 6th, 

 oats ; — and the latter, 1st, turnips ; 2nd, barlev ; 3rd, seeds; 4th, 

 wheat — white and red clover alternately. In 12 years the former 

 system gives — 



2 crops of turnips ; 

 2 barley; 

 4 ,, seeds; 

 2 ,, wheat ; 



2 „ oats; ^ 



the latter — 



3 crops of turnips ; 

 3 ,, barley ; 

 3 „ seeds ; 



3 „ wheat. 



By this it will be seen that the 4-field course gives as manv 

 white crops as the former in twelve years, an additional crop of 

 turnips, or cleaning crop, and three instead of four crops of seeds. 

 Travelling northward, through Ancasler, Temple Bruer, 6cc., the 

 mode of management is in all cases the 4-field svstem, with a 

 portion of the seeds usually mown ; but a part of the turnip 

 land is commonly sown with wheat. Oats are very seldom 

 grown. The condition of the crops depends very much upon 

 the season, a wet summer being always the best for the Heath 

 farmer. From 3 to 5 qrs. of wheat, and from 4 to 6 qrs. of 

 barley, are severally obtained. Last year the average yield of 

 wheat over the northern and central parts of the district was 

 about 32 bushels, and on some occupations 36 bushels per acre : 

 but the general average of several years is probably not more than 

 28 to 30 bushels an acre. Barley is generally of good quaiitv. 

 weighing 56 lbs. per bushel ; and the average of the whole dis- 

 trict varies from 34 to 44 bushels per acre. About half the tur- 

 nips are sown on ridges, bones being the principal manure. 

 From 16 to 20 bushels were commonly put on; but during the 

 last few years a much smaller quantitv has been used, dissolved 



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