384 



Farming of Lincolnshire. 



an ingenious and very simple tool in use in East Fen," viz., a 

 sledge for going on the ice. It is a small frame," he says, 



that slides on four horse-bones, the driver pushing himself for- 

 ward with a pitchfork." The agriculturists of this district flatter 

 themselves that they can now exhibit objects of far greater interest 

 to the attention of a reporter ; and certainly a more lengthened 

 statement would have been here given had not a previous paper 

 in the Journal been devoted to that purpose. 



Alluvium. — Wildmore and West Fens were similar tracts of 

 sedge and pool, but are now in tillage, producing large crops. 

 Wheat, oats, and beans, are grown upon the clay, and wheat, oats, 

 and barley, on the sandy land ; the intermediate crops being 

 seeds, turnips, and cole. About half the seeds are grazed by 

 long-wool sheep, the rest being mown for hay. Underdrainage 

 has been extensively carried on, but much land yet remains to be 

 made friable by its influence. The buildings are pretty good, 

 the hedges neat, the stock well fed, and there is every appearance 

 of superior cultivation. Holland Fen produces nearly every 

 variety of cropping, the general largeness of the yields arising 

 from the natural richness of the soil and the ample application 

 of oilcake yard-manure. Few portable manures are here used, 

 but they would doubtless prove highly advantageous. "^fhe 

 general outfall being good, a perfect system of hollow-draining 

 might be established ; little, however, has yet been completed in an 

 effectual manner. In the parishes on the coast north-east of 

 Boston are three different kinds of land and management. The 

 newer marsh lands are arable and pasture, chiefly the former ; 

 the grass is well adapted for feeding horses ; and the sheep upon 

 it produce a great quantity of meat and fleeces of great weight. 

 The ploughed land is of the best quality, bringing heavy crops 

 of wheat, oats, and beans. More inland is the higher ground on 

 which the villages stand, and here is some of the luxuriant 

 grazing land, for which Lincolnshire is noted. The herbage is 

 thick, forming a sward of a soft and carpet-like texture, some- 

 times swelling into tufts, but generally even and smooth, and 

 always soft to the feet. It is in small inclosures, and neither the 

 fences nor ditches are kept in good order. The arable land is 

 not generally well managed^ though considerable improvements 

 have been made of late years. The principal care of the farmer 

 was to manage his live stock and keep his pastures in order, 

 whilst the working of his arable land was neglected, and the grass 

 received more than a fair proportion of the weak manure from 

 the yard and stable. The practice of taking two or three corn 

 crops and a fallow has not been forgotten, and but little clover 

 or seeds are sown. There are instances, however, of more judi- 

 cious management — root crops and coleseed are grown, oilcake 



