Farming of Lincolnsfdre. 



355 



also on the sand, being drawn off the land in the first case and 

 consumed by sheep in the latter. A considerable proportion of 

 land in the vicinity of Caistor still requires to be underdralned. 

 The average yield per acre on the clay is computed at 3 qrs. 

 2 bis. of wheat ; 2 qrs. 4 bis. of beans ; 5 qrs. 4 bis. of oats ; 

 and 2 qrs. 4 bis. of peas ; thus showing the native poverty of the 

 soil as well as a deficiency in many instances of first-class manage- 

 ment. An improvement which might be more generally adopted 

 is the application of the neighbouring sand to the heavy and 

 stubborn clay. This has been tried with success, and a mutual 

 exchange of poor materials might thus be made to effect the en- 

 richment of each; the transported infertile clay becoming the 

 source of productiveness to the sand, and the dry loose sand, when 

 carried to and mixed with the clay, mitigating its harshness, and 

 rendering it mild and prolific. 



The Carrs, or low grounds on each side the river Ancholme, 

 lying between the land last noticed and the oolite hills, in a nar- 

 row tract from Bishop Bridge to Ferraby, come next in the 

 order of survey chosen in this Report. The principal breadth 

 being north of Brigg, the following remarks are chiefly appli- 

 cable to that part of the district. About half the area is in pas- 

 ture, which differs much in quality. The best is good enough to 

 feed heifers ; but the grass is not generally feeding-land, its 

 chief merit being its excellence for growing stock. There is a 

 tract of land, chiefly under grass, between the Wolds and the 

 lowest or middle part of the flat, not of very good quality, and 

 this has been underdrained. Underdraining, however, is rarely 

 practised in this level. Most of the arable land has been broken 

 up at a comparatively recent period, and the work of converting into 

 tillage is still progressing. The turf is first pared and burned, 

 and then the land is ploughed ; two or three white crops being 

 taken in succession. On the deep alluvial soil, or warp, next 

 the Humber, the principal crops are rape, oats, and wheat ; a 

 few turnips are grown, but no beans, — and the land when first 

 taken up from grass is generally sown with rape and wheat. 

 The stripe of peat below Saxby, clothed with rushy herbage, has 

 been partly underdrained, and forms when the water is removed 

 from its mass a very light and spongy soil. Clay from beneath 

 the black Iknd westward of it has been applied to it in some in- 

 stances, and good potatoes grown. The carr land in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Ferraby and Saxby requires the application of lime, 

 and the admixture of the sub-soil with the surface tilth could not 

 fail to be productive of benefit. Bones are never employed as 

 an artificial manure. The land yields good crops ; but after 

 being under the plough for a few years it is frequently laid down 

 again to grass. The peaty soil of Worlaby and other carrs has 



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