34 
On the Farming of Essex. 
taken, it is succeeded by beans, which are thoroughly hoed and 
cleaned, and again sown with wheat. The rotation will be better 
understood by describing it throughout : — 
1st. Fallow. 4th. Wheat. 
2nd. Oats. 5th. Beans. 
3rd. Clover. 6th. Wheat. 
Barley is sometimes grown upon the best and driest lands, and, 
since the introduction of chalk largely into the soils, with good 
success. 
The first and leading principle in the cultivation of this land is 
carried on by the application of chalk.* This, in every instance, 
upon the first application, effects an astonishing change in the 
soil, enabling it to produce valuable crops for many years after- 
wards, without the assistance of any additional manure; but as 
nearly all the land has been already chalked over, it is now applied 
as an adjunct to other manures, and to render the land porous, 
and less tenacious ; and from the facility with which it can be 
obtained by water-carriage, is, either as chalk or lime, in constant 
application upon all well-cultivated farms. 
The expense of cultivating this description of land is very 
great. Three powerful horses are used for several of the first 
ploughings upon the fallows, and frequently upon land for corn 
crops. The horses are large and fine, yet two ot them, with much 
extra food, are still unable to effect more ploughing, upon the 
average, than three-fourths of an acre per day. The horses re- 
quire the best description of food to enable them to perform their 
work ; and as much as 3 bushels of oats and beans are allowed 
weekly, with good cut clover hay ; and taking the limited quantity 
of work performed, with the extra cost of horses and keep, into 
consideration, the expense of horse labour is increased fully one- 
third over that of any of the other districts. 
The fallows are attended with immense expense, having fre- 
quently eight clean ploughings, and in no case less than six, some 
of which are effected with three horses, and are ploughed to a 
depth of five or six inches. The estimated value of the jjloughings 
is not less than from 10s. to 12s. each per acre, with scarifying or 
crab-harrowing with four horses between the ploughings, besides 
a great deal of cross-ploughing, each time, to the numerous water- 
* The chalk is carried at from one to four or five miles' distance from 
the water. About fifteen cart-loads are considered a lull dressing per 
acre. Each load, containing;; 4<) busliels, costs G.?. at the wharf : and for 
carting one mile costs '6s. Gd. ; two miles, 5*-. ; three miles, Gs. : and so on, 
for any greater distance. But the expense precludes its being used at 
more than five or six miles from the water : at a greater distance lime is 
substituted, at the rate of two waggon-loads per acre ; each load costs 32s. 
at the kiln. 
