Some Minor Farm Crops . 
171 
English factories should not be raised in our own country. 
Over any period of years the books of any teazle grower would 
show a greater profit per acre than can be obtained from most 
farm crops, and the discrepancy between the prices paid by the 
consumer and those received by the farmer show that if the 
growers could organise their profits might be easily increased. 
The following account of the teazle industry was given by 
John Billingsley in his Survey of Somersetshire in 1795 : — 
“ In the parishes of Wrington, Blagden, Ubly, Compton 
Martin and Harptry, teasels are much cultivated. The 
head of this plant, which is composed of well-turned 
vegetable hooks, is used in the dressing of cloth, and the 
manufacturers of Somerset and Wilts are for the most 
part supplied from these parishes. Large quantities are 
also sent (by water conveyance from Bristol) into York- 
shire. The most favourable soil is a strong rich clay, or 
what is generally denominated good wheat-land. Some- 
times an old ley is broken and sometimes a wheat stubble. 
The seed is sown after the rate of two pecks per acre in 
April. During the summer the land is worked over three 
or four times with long narrow spades to destroy the 
weeds. In the month of November, if the plants are too 
thick, they are drawn out to fill up vacancies, and the 
plants are set at a foot distance. If, after this thinning, 
too many plants remain, another field is prepared, into 
which they are transplanted, but those plants which are 
never removed produce the best heads. At the next spring 
and ensuing summer the land is worked over three or four 
times with narrow spades, by which it is kept thoroughly 
clean, and the plants earthed up. This is called speddling. 
“ In the month of July the uppermost heads begin to 
blossom, and as soon as the blossom falls they are ripe. 
The gathering is performed at three different times. A 
man, with a knife made for the purpose, cuts the heads 
which are ripe, and ties them up in handfuls. After a 
fortnight he goes over the ground again, and at a third 
cutting the business is completed. On the day of cutting 
they are carried into a house, and if the air be clear, they 
are taken out daily and exposed to the sun, till they are 
completely dry, but great care must be taken that no rain 
falls on them. The crop is very hazardous. A Avet 
season rots them, particularlv when there is much rain at 
the time of blossoming. When dry the teasels are 
separated into three different groups, called kings, 
middlings and scrubs, and are after that, made into packs, 
containing of kings , nine thousand heads, and of middling 
twenty thousand. The scrubs are but of little value. The 
