376 



Farming of Lincolnshire. 



clay, and on the deep soil wliicli lies next to the Cliff. It is 

 usually spread out of carts and ploughed in upon the fallows, 

 but it is thought that the best mode upon these kinds of soil is 

 to put it in small heaps, cover them with earth, and when 

 the lime has fallen into dust spread and plough it in. Different 

 soils require a corresponding variation of treatment ; where 

 there is much vegetable matter in the land, the caustic or quick 

 lime is needed in order to decompose it : but on these soils, 

 whether strong heavy clay or looser soil impregnated with iron, 

 practical experience seems to recommend the application of lime 

 in its mild or slaked state, and it is thus found to be a valuable 

 manure for sweetening and mellowing the soil, and supplying 

 food for the roots of plants. Liming the seeds is found to be a 

 very useful and profitable custom. 



Underdraining has been carried on to a considerable extent 

 in that part of this district now referred to (viz. north of the Foss 

 Dike) ; but the work must be still farther prosecuted. The 

 rent here mav be from 20^. to 25s. and sometimes 30^. per acre. 

 Woods and fox-covers abound, and south of the Foss Dike are 

 large tracts of woodland and wild open moors covered with gorse 

 and ling. Many of these waste commons have been lately in- 

 closed. To the west of Leadenham the land is chiefly pasture ; 

 it is rich feeding-land of excellent quality, but becomes of less 

 value near the river Brant. A considerable amount of under- 

 draining has been done, and is still going on ; that, however, 

 which was completed some years ago has in many instances 

 failed, the drains being much too shallow. The present method 

 in this neighbourhood is to make the drains 36 inches deep 

 w^here an adequate fall can be obtained. 



In the neighbourhood of Hough the surface is fully half under 

 grass ; and toward Brandon about one-third is good bullock- 

 pasture, one-third store-land, and the remainder impoverished 

 meadow that has been converted into arable. This is managed 

 on the four-field system, the average produce per acre being 4 

 quarters of wheat or 5 quarters of barley. In Honington and 

 neighbouring parishes about one-fourth of the land is grass ; a 

 large proportion of it is of inferior quality, the rest good sheep- 

 land. The usual course of cropping is a 5 and 6-field system ; 

 the average produce per acre is about 4 quarters of wheat, 6 

 quarters of barley, and cS quarters of oats. The rental averages 

 about 325. per acre. Most of the land is more or less efficiently 

 underdrained, causing great advantages, particularly on the more 

 retentive lands. Bones and linseed oilcake are used to a con- 

 siderable extent, and sometimes rapecake ; the principal amount 

 of the portable manures purchased, however, are used upon 

 the adjoining Heath-land, of which each parish has a portion. 



