424 
Farming of Cormcnll. 
skimmed with a skimming-plough in July, soon after which it is 
worked with the harrow, and the roots, such as couch and weeds, 
collected, and generally burned, and the ashes spread. In some 
districts, lime is applied previous to the second ploughing, at the 
rate of 100 or 150 bushels per acre. In other districts a mix- 
ture of dung, earth, and sand, from 70 to 80 loads mixed, is used. 
The second ploughing takes place in October, when the seed is 
applied. On some parts of the south coast, on the cliff-lands, 
where a large proportion of the wheat follows potatoes or turnips, 
the tillage does not take place until after Christmas. The varie- 
ties of wheat are continually changing ; but those most in use 
are distinguished by the provincial terms of Old Cornish White, 
and Red Wheats. Both of these are adapted to exposed situ- 
ations. The former kind is used chiefly on the slate soils, and is 
supposed to "tiller" (branch) in the spring better than other 
varieties. This wheat weighs from 60 to 63 lbs. per bushel. The 
Red Cornish Wheat is cultivated chiefly on the granite soils; it is 
of a coarse quality, weighing from 61 to 65 lbs. per bushel, but 
not worth so much per bushel as the other to the miller. The 
seed is chiefly sown broad-cast ; the drilling of wheat is only par- 
tiallv introduced, and dibblingf is scareelv known. The cost of 
cultivating an acre of wheat in two different districts, the one 
bordering on the north coast, where sea-sand is easily obtained, 
and the other on the south coast, is as follows : — 
SOITH COAST DISTRICT. 
£. 
s. 
d. 
1 PlougUing " combing ' * . 
0 
7 
6 
Harrowing, bumiug, and 
spreading ashes 
0 
10 
6 
100 bushels of lime . 
2 
15 
0 
Carriage of ditto, 4 miles 
Carriage of '25 loads of earth. 
0 
12 
0 
and mixing with lime and 
0 
9 
0 
Second ploughing 
0 
7 
0 
0 
3 
0 
Seeds, 18 gallons 
0 
16 
8 
0 
0 
4 
6 
1 
0 
NORTH COAST DISTRICT. 
£. 
t. 
d. 
0 
7 
6 
Harrowing, burning, and 
spreading ashes 
Carriage of 10 loads of sand, 
0 
10 
6 
0 
17 
6 
Carriage of 50 loads of ditch- 
0 
10 
6 
10 loads of farm-yard dung, 
at Is. 6d. per loadf . . 
1 
5 
0 
Mixing and spreading the 
sand, earth, and dung . 
Second Ploughing . . 
0 
5 
0 
0 
7 
0 
Harrowing and sowing 
0 
3 
4 
0 
16 
S 
5 
3 
0 
' * This is accomplished by ploughing the land in such a manner — from 
2 to 24 inches deep — that one-half of the turf is laid on the other half. 
At the end of 5 or 6 weeks this is well worked out, and the land is 
sometimes ploughed across, which is provincially termed " thwarting." 
t The dung which is used in this district may be termed "straw dung." 
From the small proportion of turnips grown, lew cattle are fattened, and 
hence the greater part of the dung is of a very iudilferent character. 
