On the Farming of Essex. 
37 
cultivation. The annual weeds and surplus plants are hoed out, 
and the crop is cut and harvested in the field, the produce being 
from 30 to 40 bushels per acre. 
The brown mustard, once so prevalent in these districts, is 
mostly prohibited being sown by the covenants of leases ; for if 
once sown it becomes a fixed tenant, and further impoverishes the 
soil ; and whatever the succeeding crop may be, it usurps a domi- 
nion — sometimes to such an extent that the bean crop has been 
sacrificed to its prolific growth. Upon first broken-up land it is 
still attempted, the first crop frequently nearly realising the fee- 
simple value of the land upon which it is sown. As it is almost 
prohibited from cultivation, it will be needless to advert to it 
further. 
Coriander and caraway are grown extensively in this district. 
The mode of cultivation being particular, it will be remarked 
upon, especially as the cultivation of coriander, in connexion with 
caraway and teasel, is rather singular, and merits notice. It was 
formerly the plan to sow a treble crop, of which teasel formed one, 
and was harvested in the second year ; but since the introduction 
of a substitute by machinery has taken place in the woollen manu- 
facture, its use has been much dispensed with, and it has conse- 
quently not of late been introduced into Essex cultivation. About 
the beginning of the month of March the seeds of the coriander 
and caraway are sown in the proportions of from 10 to 12 lbs. of 
the former to 12 or 14 lbs. of the latter — the land being previ- 
ously well harrowed, and the seed afterwards well harrowed in ; 
and here some difficulty presents itself in the management. The 
caraway-seed is very much smaller than that of the coriander, and 
as the practice is sometimes to sow before well harrowing, it then 
becomes deposited too deeply ; but should the land be, on the other 
hand, in very full tilth, by sowing after well harrowing, the corian- 
der-seed may not be sufficiently covered by the harrowing ; and it 
is therefore suggested that the coriander- seed should be first sown 
after harrowing, and the caraway drilled after the process of har- 
rowing has been partly carried on. In about eight or ten weeks 
the plants will be strong enough for hoeing, which it is important 
to complete as soon as possible. They will require about four 
hoeings, one of which is given at Michaelmas, and cost, with har- 
vesting, about 50s. per acre. As it is necessary this work should 
be carried out by workmen who well understand it, they are 
therefore better paid than men in ordinary cases : besides, it re- 
quires especial care, and occupies much time to execute the work 
properly. Workmen are to be found who undertake the labour 
and divide the profits with the farmer, allowing him the rent as a 
deduction; and he, upon the other hand, finding horses to per- 
form what work is necessary. Perhaps no crop is more variable 
