120 



Lincolnshire Fens. 



seed, the surface being scarified or lightly ploughed the next spring 

 and sown with seeds, which are grazed for two years, carrying about 12 

 sheep, and in some instances 20 sheep per acre for four months ; next, 

 4th, wheat; 5th, beans, manured; 6th, wheat, also manured. The 

 ■wheat grown is generally of a great weight, but not particularly fine in 

 colour; the oats are good; beans are rarely grown; barley is being 

 tried, but has not hitherto been cultivated with much success. The 

 long-wool breed of sheep are most commonly grazed, but during the 

 last few years many thousands of half-breds have been grazed on the 

 seeds (one-third of which are usually mown), and then fattened on the 

 coleseed. 



The practice of all the best Deeping Fen farmers is, to manure 

 for every acre of wheat they sow except that after coleseed ; and a 

 great many beasts are kept during: the winter upon straw and 

 large quantities of oil-cake^ to enrich the manure. Great quan- 

 tities of bone-dust, ashes, and bones dissolved in sulphuric acid, 

 are used for the coleseed. To obtain the ashes the land is some- 

 times pared (with a newly invented plough, which may be adjusted 

 to skim the surface as thinly as possible, one inch deep, or more 

 if required) or by a cultivator, and burned in heaps, a portion of 

 the black soil being consumed, and the clay forming a beautiful 

 ash. Guano, rape-cake, and salt are also extensively used. 



The principal part of Deeping Fen is well drained, but there 

 are more than 4000 acres of low land lying across the south- 

 western part, and west of the division of Holland and Kesteven, 

 which, notwithstanding all the improvements, are yet imperfectly 

 drained. The engines do not keep the water in the ditches 

 lower, upon an average, during the winter season than 15 inches 

 from the surface. The soil is therefore generally wet, and much 

 of the manure soaks into the ditches ; this great evil requires to 

 be remedied, and it might be readily done by deepening the 

 drains, and lowering the w^ater- wheel of one (or both) engines: 

 an improvement which might thus take out the water from the 

 whole district, one foot lower, without any increase of power 

 being required for the engine, as the recent improvements in the 

 outfall have already lowered the head " of water about 1 foot. 

 There is a private engine on this low land, which kept the water 

 on one farm during last year 2 feet lower than on those around, 

 and consequently the crops were better and more equable. Im- 

 mense quantities of water are taken in from the Welland in the 

 summer, to water the fen : a practice which greatly hinders the 

 work of drainage, and injures the channel of the river by causing 

 a deficiency of backwater for scouring, &c. 



Crowlandand Cowbitt Washes extend about 5 or 6 miles along 

 the east side of the Welland, varying from a quarter to three 

 quarters of a mile in breadth, and contain upwards of 1500 acres. 



