386 



Farming of Lincolnshire. 



pleted is packed in barrels ready for sale. Produce, perhaps 2 

 or 3 tons per acre. In the parish of Algarkirk is a large chicory 

 establishment, and there are others near Spalding and in the parish 

 of Holbeach. As with woad, so with this crop, the land must be 

 remarkably clean, as all weeds, especially chickenweed, are exces- 

 sively detrimental to its growth. The seed is drilled in 9 to 12- 

 inch rows, 3 or 4 lbs. per acre, in the middle of May. The plants 

 are usually singled out, at intervals of 8 inches, and the land 

 carefully hoed. The roots are taken up in October, November^ 

 &c,, with strong double-pronged iron forks, about 14 inches in 

 the blades. Ploughing them up at i 2-inch depth is sometimes 

 practised, and is perhaps the better method, as in digging the 

 roois are apt to break off at 8 or 9-inch lengths, unless pulled at 

 the top whilst the fork is " prizing" below. The green tops are 

 cut off, the roots washed clean, cut into small pieces, usually by a 

 turnip-cutter, and dried in a kiln. The chicory is then market- 

 able, and is sold to grocers, who roast it like coffee. One to 1| 

 tons (when dried) is an average crop. The leaves are devoured 

 with great avidity by cattle, but are most frequently " ploughed 

 in." They have been also used to adulterate woad. 



South-east of Spalding, through Moulton^ Holbeach, Long- 

 Sutton, &c., the fine pasture lands continue. The parishes are 

 of great length north and south, but of narrow breadth, extending 

 north of the villages and towns into fertile marshes three-fourths 

 under the plough, and southward for two or three miles (of ex- 

 ceedingly fine land both for grazing and tillage) into more tena- 

 cious clay fens. Peculiar value belongs to certain spots, and the 

 grazing farms of this first quality are known throughout the 

 whole district by their names^ as (for instance) the four-scores/' 

 and the hundred-acre farm," &c. ; and many of the better 

 fields are famed as '•' the hill piece," " the doles," " the Jew's 

 meadows," &c. The grass-land in the Marsh causes scouring in 

 young stock, and great injury is occasioned by the saltness of the 

 water in the creeks and ditches; a considerable quantity of sheep, 

 however, are there bred. The richer lands in the central por- 

 tions of South Holland are exactly suited as a change for the 

 stock ; and whilst the Marsh lands will feed sheep and heifers, 

 these will fatten bullocks of the largest size. 



May is the usual month for stocking the grass lands. The 

 sheep pastures have a proportion of one young steer to 12 sheep, 

 the number per acre depending upon the quality and condition of 

 the field. The bullock-lands have one horse to every 12 beasts. 

 The head of stock should be regulated in such a manner as to 

 keep the sheep land comparatively bare, but the cattle ought to 

 have a good bite : rank herbage is deleterious to the health of a 

 sheep, but an ox requires a plentiful supply of food, that he may 



