HUSBANDRY. 547 
produced 5 as perhaps by removing the firft infeCts that 
rtiow themlelves, their propagation may in fome degree 
be prevented. _ 
Beans, like peafe, are every where an uncertain crop, 
confequently the average produce difficult to eftimate. 
In Middlesex, it is Hated to be from three and a half to 
four quarters the acre. And in Yorkfhire, when culti¬ 
vated as a preparation for wheat, from four to fix quar¬ 
ters the acre; but, where the crop precedes a fallow', only 
from two to three quarters. In Kent, where the bean- 
hufbandry is more perfect, the common tick-beans are laid 
to afford from two to fix quarters, according to circum- 
ltances; the mazagan, and other fmall beans of the fame 
fort, from three to five quarters, and fometimes confider- 
ably more; and the Windfor, long-pod, and other large 
forts, from three to four to ten quarters Hie acre. Tak- 
ino- it throughout the whole kingdom, it is afferted by an 
abte writer, to vary from lixteen to forty bulliels the acre ; 
but that a good average crop can feldom be ftated at more 
than twenty. 
The fmaller kinds of beans are principally employed in 
the feeding of horfes, hogs, and other animals; and, as 
they contain a third more meal in a given portion than 
oats, and at the fame time probably afford a more durable 
nourilhment, it muff be economical to make ufe of them 
jn the feeding of labouring horfes. And on the fame 
principles they mult be advantageous when ufed in the 
fattening of cattle, &c. But, when hogs are fed with this 
fort of food, it is afferted that the pork is indifferent from 
the meat becoming hard, though for bacon it is extremely 
good. 
Of SOWING, both BROADCAST and bv the DRILL. 
Broadcast sowing is that mode of cultivation by 
which the feed is committed to the foil by the hand of 
man, without the aid of machinery; and is the method 
which prevails in almoft every part of the kingdom. In 
this method of performing the bufinefs, the molt ul’ual 
praCtice, efpecially where the ridges are equal in breadth, 
and not of too great a width, as five or fix yards, is that 
of difperfing the feed regularly over each land or ridge, 
in once walking round ; the feedfman, by different caffs 
of the hand, lowing one half in going, and the other in 
returning. In doing this, it is the cuftom of fome feedfi- 
men to fill the hand from the feedlip, which they carry 
along with them, as they make one ftep forward, and dif- 
perfe the feed in the time of performing the next; while 
others fcatter the feed, or make their caffs, as they are 
termed by farmers, in advancing each ffep. It is evident, 
therefore, that, in performing this bufinefs with regularity 
and exaftnefs, much care, and thought, and uninterrupted 
attention, are neceffary. It is therefore of great import¬ 
ance for the farmer either to perform the operation himlelf, 
or to feleCtfuch perlons as are converfantwith the bufinefs, 
and on whom he may fafely depend, otherwife lie might 
incur confiderable lofs in the w’affe of feed, and run no 
fmall rilk in refpeCl to the evennefs and lufficiency of 
liis crops at harveft. 
It has been obferved, that in this way of fowing, 
even with the molt expert leedfmen, where the lands or 
ridges are irregular, or broader at one end than the other, 
a great wafte of feed mull always be the confequence; as 
when turning repeatedly on the fame ridge, and at dif¬ 
ferent parts, they cannot poffibly fcatter the feed with 
equal regularity as if it was of'tlie fame breadth, or nearly 
fo. And, from the feed in this kind of fowing being 
fcattered at random, and vegetating or coming up with¬ 
out any regularity, the crops cannot derive any advantage 
by hoeing or after-culture, except in the way of clearing 
them from weeds by the hand, which is often, through 
careleffnefs, dellruCtive to the crop. 
Sowing by broadcaff is peculiarly adapted to ftrong, ad- 
hefive, clayey, foils, where machinery will not work, nor 
the furface bear much treading after the feed is commit¬ 
ted to the ground. It is alfo obliged to be adopted on all 
other kinds of foil where a great ffroke of bufinefs is car¬ 
ried on, from the facility with which it is performed, and 
time Will not permit nice methods to be perfifted in. 
Hence, in the extenfive wheat-counties, fowing by broad- 
caff is Hill found chiefly to prevail. 
In fowing by the Drill, many advantages are, under 
particular circumftances, unqueffionably to be derived ; 
but it is not always that tliefe are in the habit of prelent- 
ing themfelves. The drill is the engine that plants the 
corn and other feeds in rows; it makes the channels, and 
fows the feeds in them, and covqj's them with earth when 
fown, and all this at the fame time, and with great expe¬ 
dition. The principal parts of the drill are the feed-box, 
the hopper, the plough, and its harrow. The feed-box is 
the chief of thefe ; it meafures, or rather numbers out, 
the feeds which it receives from the hopper, and is for 
this purpofe as an artificial hand ; but it delivers out the 
feed much more equally than can be done by a natural 
hand. The plough and hopper are drawn by a horfe, and 
by thefe .the ground is opened, and the feed is depofited 
in it: the harrow follows, and lightly rakes in the earth 
over them. When the ground is fine, and the feeds fmall, 
a hurdle, with fome prickly bufhes faftened to its under 
part, will ferve better than the harrow. 
Hence it will be feen, that the Drill Hufbandry affords 
the means of diftributing the feed with a much greater de¬ 
gree of exaftnefs, both in refpeCl to the depth and the re¬ 
gularity of the rows, than by broadcaff ; whence the crops 
not only vegetate and grow up in a more equable manner, 
but by cultivation are capable of being more effectually 
affilted in their after-growth, and at the fame time tilery is 
a confiderable faving in the quantity of feed. And as the 
grain by fuch means is neither too thickly crowded, nor 
too thinly fcattered in the drills, there cannot be any in¬ 
jury in the weaknefs of the crops from the former caufe, 
or lofs from the too fcanty number of Items and ears in 
the latter, which muff always be more or lefs the cafe in 
the broadcaff method of management. Befides, from the 
equality of the depth to which the feed is depofited by 
the drill, in addition to the other advantages that have 
been noticed, the crops will become ripe in a more equal 
and uniform manner. 
Affilting the growth of the crop by the frequent hoe¬ 
ing and breaking the ground, muff alfo be advantageous 
in different ways. By turning the earth in different di¬ 
rections, the mould becomes not only more completely 
pulverized, but alfo newly and more fully aerated; in 
confequence of which, various nutritious materials are 
abundantly provided; while, at the fame time, the foil is 
rendered more eafily penetrable by the fuperficial roots of 
the grain, and the power of tillering, or fending forth new 
roots and Items, increafed by the earth being laid up to , 
fuch of the joints of the corn-ftems as are immediately 
above the furface. There are likewife other points of 
utility to be derived from this method of management; 
as by the more complete deftruCtion of weeds that takes 
place, and the harvelting of the crops, in confequence of 
tt, being accomplifhed with more certainty and lefs trou- , 
ble and expence, as well as by the land being left , in a 
more mellow and productive ftate for the growth of fu¬ 
ture crops, much may be added to the account of profit. 
But, though this method of fowing feems to afford ad¬ 
vantages in all thefe different views, it has not by any 
means been generally adopted; the reafons of which feein 
to be, the difficulty of bringing common labourers to 
adopt the praCtice, the incorreClnefs of the machinery 
commonly employed in delivering the feed, and the expence 
with which it is at firft attended ; but there are others 
which have probably had an equal if not greater effeCt in 
retarding its progreis ; as the applying it to lands fin an 
improper condition, both in refpeCt to quality and the 
ftate of tillage, and the either wholly or partially neglect¬ 
ing the after-management of the crops, upon which, it.is 
obvious, much muff depend. It is probable alfo,. that by 
attempting too great iavings in the quantity of feed, and 
allowing 
