Farming of Lincolnshire. 



351 



per (lose, and is thrown hot from the carts upon the fallows. At 

 this rate it is advisable to lime once in 8 years ; but when only 

 3 chaldrons per acre are applied the dressing must of course be 

 repeated more frequently. 



If any further improvements may be sugo:ested, perhaps the 

 main requisite is the use of the sub-soil plough on the red clay ; 

 there is generally a bed of very stiff" soil, oflen hardening into a 

 stcmy substance called " iron-mould," beneath the surface tilth, 

 which appears to need the pulverizing action of the deep share to 

 improve both the texture and temperature of the soil. 



On the white clay, between Hareby and Horncastle, about 

 one-third is in grass, and beyond that, by Wragby, &c,, about 

 two-fifths, and in some parishes one-half. The sheep are crosses 

 between the Leicester and Lincoln breeds, and the beasts are 

 generally improved short-horns. The usual course of cropping 

 is a four-field system, but owing to the badnes of the layer dead- 

 fallows are unavoidable over a great part of this district. Wheat 

 of course is the first crop after a dead fallow, succeeded by red 

 clover. The land is partly ridged for the green crops, which 

 consist of both turnips and coleseed, and mangolds and cabbages 

 in small quantities. The turnips are followed by barley, and the 

 red clover is succeeded by beans, peas, or oats, and barley on the 

 turnip-land, the aim being to avoid two white straw crops together. 

 The usual varieties of wheat are red — " Spalding's-red," a coarse 

 heavy kind of wheat being commonly grown. The average yield 

 of such w heats upon this kind of land, including the clay with 

 gravelly sub- soil, is about 3^ quarters per acre. All the grain 

 crops are mown. In many parts of the country, especially on the 

 light sandy lands where furrows are few, no care is bestowed 

 upon making the drill-rows straight by the furrows, the aim being 

 merely to keep them equidistant, without paying much attention 

 to bends in their line of direction. On the Hareby estate (and 

 perhaps also on various others) the " lands " on the white clay 

 are ploughed about 8 feet in width, and the drill is wide enough 

 to cover all the land between furrow and furrow. By means of 

 -this arrangement there is no irregularity in the rows, all being at 

 equal distances, and the crop shows no defect on the ridges (or 

 middle of the stetches). The commoner method on heavy land, 

 particularly in the alluvial districts, is to have the furrows 12 feet 

 ■apart, with a drill to fit half the distance ; and it requires an ex- 

 perienced drillman to work the swing " mechanism connected 

 with this kind of drill in such a way as not to run the ridge rows 

 into one another, or swerve them too far asunder. In either 

 case the furrows must be exactly parallel, and at precisely the 

 right measure apart that fits the drill : if trampling is injurious 

 the horses can also be made, in both cases, to walk down the 



