a 
374 
thrives best on rich soils, and such as are rather 
light and well drained. It may be sown alone, 
either in drills or broadcast, and mixed in small 
quantities, amongst grass, clover, and other seeds 
for pasture lands. When the drill system is 
adopted, which in most cases is to be preferred, 
the rows may be at from 15 to 20 inches distant, 
to admit of hand and horse -hoeing, and the 
plants should stand at least 6 inches distant in 
the rows; sowing may be deferred till the month 
of May; as, if this be done at an early period of 
the season, the plants are apt to commence run- 
ning to seed in the autumn months, whereby 
they will be materially weakened, and the first 
crop of the succeeding season considerably les- 
sened. The operation of thinning should be at- 
tended to when the plants are very young, and 
they should be pulled with the hand, in soft 
weather, in preference to cutting them with a 
hoe, as the roots are very tenacious of life, and 
will push out new buds although cut a good deal 
below the surface. One considerable crop of 
root-leaves may be obtained in the end of au- 
tumn the first season, and three, four, or even 
more, may be obtained under very favourable 
circumstances during each of the four or five 
seasons following, particularly if the first cutting 
be completed about the time of the plants first 
showing their flowers, when the average height 
will be from 3 to 5 feet, and, in many cases, the 
cutting should not be deferred until the plants 
arrive at a more advanced state, as the stalks 
then become hard and the future vigour of the 
plants impaired. The broadcast system should 
only be attempted where the soil is previously 
in a high state of fertility and completely free 
from root and annual weeds. The period of du- 
ration from the time of sowing will be from four 
to six years, if cut regularly before arriving at 
full flower, after which they may be ploughed 
up and the ground fallowed to get clear of the 
roots. If, however, the seed be allowed to ripen, 
the plants will lose much of their vigour even 
after the first crop. When drilled, 4 lb. or 5 Ib. 
will be a sufficient quantity of seed per acre; but 
10 lb. or 12 lb. will be necessary for sowing broad 
cast.” In consequence of the plant standing so 
long in the ground, it cannot take a place in any 
regular rotation on arable land, except in a simi- 
lar way to sainfoin, lucern, and a four or five or 
six years duration of grass; but it is peculiarly 
well suited to very steep ground or an out-of-the- 
way corner, or any other little tract which can- 
not conveniently or at all be tilled with the 
plough. Two serious disadvantages have pretty 
generally been alleged against it, and are sanc- 
tioned by so high an authority as that of Von 
Thaer,—that it occasions great labour and ex- 
pense by the difficulty of eradicating it, and that 
it acts very exhaustingly on the soil; but both 
are altogether imaginary; for, as we shall see in 
next paragraph, it is currently lifted by an easy 
method of harvesting in districts where its roots 
SUCCORY. 
are the main object of cultivating it,—and it sits 
so mildly on the soil as to require but a moderate 
pre-enrichment of manure, and then to be ca- 
pable of occupying the land in two successive 
sowings for its roots, and being afterwards pro- 
fitably followed by wheat. 
The proper cultivation and management of 
succory for the sake of its roots in Britain are 
described to the following effect, and nearly in 
the following words, by a gentleman in a part of 
Yorkshire where it is much attended to:—“ The 
soil best adapted to it is deep, rich, and loamy; 
but it will grow upon any land favourable for 
turnips or potatoes, or intermediate between cold 
stiff clayand a poor thin sandyland. Some favour- 
ite fields are close upon gravel; others are more 
of a black peaty moor land. No fallowing is 
absolutely required; but it is better that the 
land should be winter-ploughed, and prepared as 
for turnips; it must be as clean as possible,— 
and, if of a friable light character, not overmuch 
wrought or ‘loosened’ in spring. The quantity 
of manure will depend on the condition of the 
land; say about four loads of good short dung 
(ashes, night-soil, &c.), laid on broadcast, as an 
average to the acre, when ready for rowing up, 
which will prevent the ridges being twice turned, 
as in turnip sowing. The period of sowing will 
depend upon the season, and the condition of the 
land; the latter end of April or beginning of 
May is preferable. The double-drill is in use in 
this district, and the rows should be from 16 to 
18 inches in width,—the drills 34 inches apart. 
Very great care must be taken that the drills 
are kept clean, and not suffered to choke, or 
much ground may be lost, as it is difficult to tell 
how far they may have ‘ missed delivery.’ They, 
and the roller attached to follow, may be worked 
by a quiet old pony. About three weeks or a 
month after sowing, it will be requisite to hand- 
pull and weed. No hoe is ever permitted. If 
necessary, you may employ the pony and a light 
scuffler between the rows. Particular care must 
be paid to the cleaning and weeding; and the 
frequency of the operation will depend upon 
circumstances. If the land is clean, 16 or 18 
women and children may go over it twice ina 
season; and an acre may occupy them probably 
about two days. The plants in the drills should 
be singled two or three inches apart from each 
other. Dibbling where seed has failed does not 
appear to answer. Those plants which ‘run to 
head,’ must be watched, and carefully drawn 
when they show flower; or at the final taking 
up they will prove woody and worthless, like a 
radish run to seed. They can be carried home 
and prepared for sale in the same manner as if 
drawn at maturity. The proper time for taking 
up the crop depends on the season ;—in Novem- 
ber, if considered ripe; but experience alone can 
enable you to fix the precise time. Those who 
have much will commence sooner than those who 
have less to take up. The mode of harvesting 
