Farming of Northamptonsliire. 



65 



occasionally a mixture of rye-grass and trefoil. Quantity of seed 

 sown from 16 lbs. to 20 lbs. per acre. 



When clover is not taken, the land left for beans is manured 

 in the winter, and receives one ploughing early in the spring, or 

 as soon as the weather will permit the manure to be carted upon 

 it. The beans are either drilled or dibbled in rows varying from 

 12 to 18 inches apart ; as soon as they are well up, they are 

 hand or horse hoed, and kept clean all the summer, having two 

 hoeings, and the charlock and other weeds pulled up by hand. 

 Some persons let their bean crop to be twice hoed and once hand- 

 weeded, at from 7^. to 95. per acre, according to the state of 

 the land. 



Previous to the clover-ley and bean stubbles being ploughed 

 up on land subject to the slugs, a small quantity of lime or salt 

 is sown on the stubbles before they are ploughed up. This is 

 found very successful when done early on a damp morning — the 

 smallest quantity of either quick-lime or salt falling on the slugs 

 soon destroys them. When this plan is not adopted, and the 

 slugs are found to be destroying the wheat blade, lime is sown 

 on the land ; but it is not so efficacious as the former plan, as the 

 slugs lying under the furrows are protected from the lime. They 

 are very destructive in wet, open seasons, and the wheat is fre- 

 quently obliged to be sown again in spring. 



The quantity of seed-beans used is from 2i to bushels per 

 acre, being regulated by the width of the rows apart. 



Fourth Year, Wheat, Barley, or Oats. — When wheat has been 

 taken after the fallow crop, it is only on the best description of 

 cold land, and which has been well farmed, that wheat is again 

 taken ; but yet this system has become more frequent, and is 

 increasing every year, for as the land gets well manured for beans 

 or else is a clover-ley, wheat may again be sown with success, 

 assuming the land to be clean. On the thin weak land, which 

 has probably had a very light di'essing for the bean-crop, and, in 

 some cases, none at all, the land gets one ploughing in November 

 or December, as the season is suitable, lying all winter, and 

 barley or oats drilled in on the stale furrow in the spring, the 

 soil sometimes being moved on the surface by a slight scuffling 

 or harrowing ; when the seed is not drilled it is generally har- 

 rowed in. This crop requires to be well hoed or hand- weeded 

 during the summer, and receives a more liberal supply of seed. 



In the southern part of the county, in the vicinity of Tow- 

 cester and Erackley, it has been usual to give the barley-land, 

 after beans, another ploughing in the spring ; should the season 

 be suitable it affords an opportunity of cleansing the land, but 

 more frequently it is an additional expense Avithout any increase 

 of produce. 1 have seen some land so wet and raw after the 



VOL. XIII. F 



