East Riding of Yorkshire. 
117 
rings of which it consists so act upon the surface as to embed it 
down more firmly than ordinary rolling is able to do. It should 
be repeated, if the land be dry enough, in March. 
Where manuring the clovers is practised, it might be thought 
that this is enough, on all soils that are worth cultivating, to secure 
a fair crop of wheat, and that any addition of foreign tillage were 
unnecessary. It has been found, however, that upon some weak 
gravelly soils of the Wolds it is almost impossible to bestow too 
much fertilization, so much so that instances might be named 
where, in addition to the 10 or 12 tons of fold-yard manure that 
have been applied to the clovers, rape-cake dust, or soot, or guano 
has been put upon the wheat in the month of March or April, 
and the result has been an increase of at least 1 quarter of wheat 
per acre. If rape-dust be used, the quantity is generally 12 
bushels per acre, which at 25. Qd. is SOs. per acre. 
If soot, 6 bushels weight, at 4s. per bushel = 24s. per acre. 
A mixture of guano and nitrate of soda has, it is said, been tried 
with effect, viz. 12 st. guano to 6 st. nitrate of soda, at a cost of 
255. per acre. 
Mr. Strickland calculates the produce of wheat on the Wolds 
at from 12 to 24 bushels per acre. At present it may be affirmed 
to be from 24 to 32 bushels an acre. 
Seed Wheat. — There is no sort of wheat that has found more 
favour on these soils than the Old Red Kent, or Creeping Wheat. It 
has maintained its character probably longer than any other, and 
is thought to be well adapted to the climate ; suffering, as it ap- 
parently does, less from moisture and mildew than others. Late 
years, however, have been so fruitful in new varieties of this grain 
(and there is no description of experiment that farmers are so 
prone to as that of a new wheat), that it is somewhat hazardous, 
in our present state of knowledge, to point out anyone description 
of wheat as more suited for the locality than another. Of white 
wheats, Hopetoun and Hunter's White, are much approved. 
The harvest operations of the Wolds form a very important 
part of its husbandry, and therefore merit notice. 
It is the invariable practice, it may be said, of the Wolds, to 
mow all the white corn-crops ; on the other hand, in the Vale of 
York and in Holderness, the use of the sickle nearly equals that 
of the scythe. The Wolds being an extensive corn-growing 
district and thinly inhabited, farmers are dependent upon the aid 
of strangers to complete their harvest. Irish labourers are little 
employed here, as they are unused to mow. The hilly district to 
the north and north-west of the county furnishes usually a supply 
of labourers for the purpose of harvest. These men — Dalesmen, 
as they are termed — are very expert in the use of the scythe. 
An average-sized Wold-farm requires five or six scythes ; each 
