Deeping Fen. 



117 



clary of South Holland) divides Moulton from Fossdike, which 

 contains much beautiful land. Nearly all of it is marsh and 

 highland^ some of the lands westward of the village are very 

 strong-, approaching gault in stiffness. 



From this parish towards Boston are Sutterton and Algarkirk, 

 both possessing prime grazing and arable land. A Yorkshire 

 Company have taken a great breadth of the best lands in these 

 parishes^ at a high rent, on a 90 years* lease^ for the cultivation of 

 woad, chiccory, &c. They have an extensive establishment at 

 Algarkirk for the m.anufacture of chiccory, as a substitute for 

 coffee. The land is ploughed very deep in the spring and well 

 worked, every weed carefully picked off, and when reduced to a 

 perfect pulverization, about the third week in April the seed is 

 drilled in rows 9 inches apart, and harrowed lightly in, the 

 cloddy parts being raked off into the furrows. The plants are 

 hoed and weeded repeatedly, and at Michaelmas the crop is ready 

 for taking up, which is done as follows : the leaves, which are 

 exceedingly good food for all kinds of stock, are gathered off, and 

 either thus consumed or applied to manuring purposes, 6cc. ; the 

 roots are then dug up by large 2-pronged forks, cleaned, and 

 dried, &c.j at the factory. Large breadths of potatoes, black 

 mustard, &c., are grown in this neighbourhood. The parishes 

 of Kirton (including Kirton Skeldike, and running many miles 

 westward from the sea to Kirton Holme), Frampton, and Wy- 

 berton (adjacent to Boston), contain much land of admirable 

 texture, capable of any course of cropping. Nearer the sea are 

 some capital sheep lands, and adjoining the Boston road there 

 are bullock lands equal to any of the grazing grounds in the 

 district. 



Northward from Spalding are the parishes of Pinchbeck and 

 Surfleet, the former chiefly fen, the latter possessing a con- 

 siderable extent of good marsh. Stretching still further north 

 are the parishes of Gosberton, Quadring, Donington, Bicker, 

 and Swineshead : these towns and villages being in a line pa- 

 rallel with those mentioned above (viz., AJgarkirk, Sutterton, 

 &c.), and about 5 or 6 miles more to the westward. They contain 

 fine grazing ground, with a portion of fen attached to them on 

 the west. The soil of Bicker is much of it light and poor, having 

 formerly been an estuary of the sea, called Bicker-haven," the 

 banks of which are still remaining; and in one place a rabbit- 

 warren is still kept up. Between Donington and Kirton is 

 Wigtoft, one of the richest in the whole district. Under- draining 

 is gradually coming into practice throughout the whole extent of 

 this country. 



Deejjing Fen. — Leaving now the marsh and highland districts, 

 the first Lincolnshire fen which comes under notice is that called 



