40 
On the Farming of Essex. 
quality of a soil, being rather adapted to distinguish land which <;onsist8 
mostly of clay from that which consists of gravel or sand. This portion 
of the farm consists of a chalky clay subsoil, having a considerable 
quantity of marl intermixed, with a tolerably deep staple of vegetable 
mould (combined with the clay) lying upon the surface, and is of that 
description of soil described in the first part of this essay. A second 
portion lying between the above-described land and the river is clay 
mixed with alluvial deposit, and loam and gravel prevailing more or less 
as a subsoil, of which the surface in some degree partakes, having a 
deeper staple than the first described portion of the farm, it is adapted 
to the growth of Swede turnips and mangold-wurzel. The remainder of 
the farm, in the proportion of about 10 acres to each hundred of arable, 
consists of meadow ground liable to be flooded during winter, and some 
small enclosures of pasture adjoining the premises, which are situated 
nearly central to the farm, a hard road running through and dividing 
the strong clay-land from the turnip-land and belt of meadow-ground. 
The system pursued is an expensive one, and requires great activity 
and experience to carry it out effectually, as in addition to the manage- 
ment of the land, a competent knowledge of the purchase and sale of 
sheep and cattle is involved, which is rarely combined with superior 
knowledge of cultivation in one individual. The land is all adapted to 
the growth of wheat, beans, barley, and oats, which are the crops pro- 
duced in fair proportions in each year, every part of the farm being in 
crop at the same time. 
To commence with the turnip-soil (or the last-described portion of 
the farm), the land is ploughed up as early as possible in the autumn, 
and receives one, two, or more ploughings, as opportunity offers. In 
the early part of the winter such portions as require draining are tho- 
roughly drained with pipes of two inches' bore, having the opening 
heart-shaped — the widest part of which is placed downwards — upon the 
top of which stone is placed to about 3 inches in depth, consisting 
principally of small flints and pebbles, picked from the surface of the 
laud; as soon as the land is sufiiciently dry it receives two deep cross- 
ploughings early in the spring, is rolled and harrowed until a fine tilth 
is produced, and is then formed into ridges, or small stetches, 37 inches 
each in width, which is thus effected: — A straight furrow is first 
ploughed, and a double-breasted plough is then used, having a marking 
instrument attached, which consists of a small straight tough pole fixed 
at right angles from the beam of the plough by means of a hook, and 
placed as far back as possible, so that it does not derange the operation 
of the plough whilst working ; at the end of this stick an iron is 
fixed exactly the width of two of the intended ridges, which is con- 
nected diagonally by a chain with the whipple-tiee of the horse; this, 
as the plough proceeds, marks out the next furrow, occupying the 
space of two ridges. The work thus proceeds followed by a similar 
plough, or by the ploughman returning, who by passing his plough 
down the middle of this space divides the stetch of 0 feet 2 inches 
into two smaller ones of 37 inches each, the marker still defining the 
distance at which the plough should be held; the ridges being formed, 
are ploughed off with four furrows to each, and then every fifth ridge is 
