162 State of Agriculture in Northumberland. 



then heard of. Tartarian oats are grown partially on strong 

 lands, but are not much in repute on the best soils, for, though 

 productive, the grain is inferior and the straw coarse. Oats are 

 commonly sown broadcast, on ridges of 1 5 feet wide ; but, in 

 some situations, where annual weeds prevail, they are sown in 

 drills, and hoed. The season for sowing is in March and April ; 

 the quantity of seed varying, according to soil and grain, from 4 

 to G bushels per acre. They are reaped with the sickle, and tied 

 up into sheaves immediately, as the best descriptions are liable to 

 much waste, by shedding, if subject to be turned and handled. 



The corn-crop succeeding the turnip fallow, and with which 

 grass- seeds are sown, consists of spring- wheat and barley, in such 

 proportions as the season and quality of the land render advisable. 

 If one part of the turnip quarter be superior to another, attention 

 is given to sow that first with turnips, so that it may be cleared at 

 the earliest period for the wheat sowing; but if the quality of 

 land does not materially differ, then it is desirable to alternate 

 the crops, growing wheat this time where barley grew the last, 

 and vice versa. The season which is preferred for wheat sowing 

 is the month of February, though it is often continued through 

 the whole of March ; and, when long-protracted snow-storms 

 have prevented it, much has been, in some seasons, sown so late 

 as the first week in April, and produced good crops. The kinds 

 of wheat sown at this late period are much the same as in other 

 districts are grown from autumn sowing — brown and white Kent, 

 Burwell red, golden drop, Whitington, <5cc. &c. New varieties 

 are often introduced under the attractive names of nonsuch and 

 prolific, which on trial turn out nothing better^ and probably not 

 so good, as others that have been in common use, although, by 

 help of a little puffing, they may serve for a time an individual 

 purpose. 



Spring sowing requires more seed than autumn, as the stems 

 have less time to tiller. The quantity commonly used in broad- 

 cast sowing is 3 bushels, in drills about 2 bushels, per acre. This 

 practice, which answers so well on turnip-soils in the north, has 

 not, I believe, generally succeeded in the south of England ; pro- 

 bably because, though long retarded in the north, vegetation is 

 quicker when it comes, and that the greater heat and dryness of 

 the atmosphere in the south have a tendency to shrivel and 

 ripen the grain before it has come to perfection. This circum- 

 stance may in some measure account for the inferior quality of 

 the oats grown in the south of England to those produced in 

 the northern counties and in Ireland. Wheat is invariably cut 

 with the sickle or teethed-hook, and tied up immediately. The 

 operations of harvest are very different here from the method of 

 the southern counties. The Northumberland farmer is continu- 



