Fanning of Lincolnshire. 



345 



holders farming their own land of 5, 10, 50, or 100 acres. Being 

 thus subject to no rule, these cultivators have not confined them- 

 selves to any regular course of cropping ; but it is now becoming 

 general to sow half the land with wheat, having root and pulse 

 crops intervening. On the loamy marsh soil it is common to 

 have turnips or coleseed followed by oats, wheat, and then beans, 

 — occasionally seeds and wheat. The coleseed is never grov.n 

 for seed, only for eating off, and is generally mingled with tur- 

 nips ; the proportion is small, not more than one-fourth of the 

 fallow land beino; sown with it. Occasionally a proportion of the 

 turnip crop is left for seed. Scarcely any swedes are found here. 

 On the clay land very few roots are grown, and those few are 

 carted from the fields, as it is impossible to feed them off. Tares, 

 or vetches, are frequently sown ; and likewise white mustard for 

 ploughing in or feeding, as it is an excellent forage for sheep. 

 The usual mode, however, is to summer-fallow for wheat, which 

 is often sown broadcast and ploughed in ; then come beans, and 

 sometimes wheat again. This mode of culture is a great improve- 

 ment upon that mentioned by Young : bean land was wretchedly 

 managed; he says, — " as a general fact it is to be stated, that 

 this crop is broadcast, never hoed, full of weeds, and wheat con- 

 sequently not following it. In the wet open fields, fallow usually 

 succeeds." At that time, too, drilling white corn was being tried, 

 and after various experiments by many farmers abandoned. 

 " Were all the men known who have tried this husbandry and 

 laid it aside, the advocates remaining would not figure by their 

 number." Neither woad, chicory, red mustard, flax, nor other 

 officinal or manufacturing plants are cultivated in the north 

 marshes ; and even barley is but seldom grown. The average 

 produce is about 4 or 5 quarters of wheat, oats 6, 8, or 10 quar- 

 ters, and beans very much according to the season, probably from 

 3 to 6 quarters. 



Until the last two years very little underdraining had been done 

 in the Marshes, but it is now becoming general, the favourite 

 method being that of pipe-tiles. On the Middle "Marsh a consi- 

 derable extent has been effected with chalk stones, especially at 

 the foot of the chalk-hills, where the material is close at hand. 

 The chalk is broken and placed in drains 3 feet in depth, and, 

 when filled to a certain height, covered with the soil ; the out- 

 falls being constructed of tiles, as otherwise the stones would be 

 crumbled (and the drain thus injured) by frost. The drains are 

 generally laid along every furrow. On this part of the district 

 considerable quantities of lime have been applied to the land with 

 very beneficial eff'ects. A large proportion of grass in the Marsh 

 is mown for hay, which is produced in great bulk ; but, whether 

 from its abundance or not, little pains are bestovred upon 



