60 
The Farming of Cheshire. 
quired in the management: the first ploughing across the butts is 
immediately succeeded by a longitudinal ploughing of the same 
depth into large flats, in order to give the ground a level surface, 
and to enable the ploughman to form the butts of equal size and 
uniform roundness, which is an operation of great importance if 
the land is not particularly dry ; the butts are made double the 
width of the^ drill, thus admitting of their being sown at one bout 
or round, and the soil is then usually water-furrowed by a double 
mouldboard-plough passing along the reins. 
The practice of growing two corn crops in sviccession on the 
same land may ])robably be censured, as not being in accordance 
with the rules of good husbandry ; but my own experience con- 
vinces me that as good crops of wheat may be grown after ofits 
upon the ley or green sod as any other crops, provided the land 
be properly managed ; and on dairy farms, where the tillage is 
limited to one-fourth of the acreage, the alternate green crop 
system would not answer so well. For instance, on a farm of 200 
acres, 25 would be in green crop,* which would be more than 
could be consumed to advantage, and only 25 in corn, which 
would not furnish an adequate supply of straw for five or six 
horses, forty or more milking cows, besides young stock and pigs, 
and also thatch for the stacks, as well as (in many cases) for part 
of the farm-buildings. f 
The general method with regard to wheat stubbles is to give 
one ploughing before Christmas, merely reversing the butts. An 
improvement has taken j)lace on some farms in this respect 
within the last few years ; the land is ploughed very thin, har- 
rowed, and then ploughed again to the depth of 6 or 7 inches, 
thus covering all the stubble, and rendering it much more easy 
to be worked in the spring. The succeeding crop is generally 
* Peas and beans, it may be observed, run too much to straw on this 
description of land. 
t In addition to the old kinds of wheat formei ly grown in the county, 
many new varieties have lately been introduced; amongst those generally 
cultivated are the following : — 
Old Red. — A fine straw, with a long thin ear : stands well, and the 
grain is much liked by millers. 
Bed Britannia. — Strong straw, thick long ear, large grain ; not so fine iu 
quality as the former. 
Golden Drop. — Yellow grain, strong white straw. 
Pearl. — Very white, compact ear, and great producer. 
Blood-Red. straw, and not apt to lodge ; an excellent sort for 
spring. 
Yellow Dantzic. — Fine straw, small grain ; very productive on good clay- 
soils. 
Devonshire Red. — Compact ear, liable to lodge in wet seasons ; very pro- 
ductive when it stands well. 
Chidham. — Very white, and something like pearl. 
Hopetoum. — Large ear, and strong ; not apt to lodge. 
