С НА Р. IX.

Of improving Land by Beans and Peafe, and of meliorating Corn by Brining, with a Method of improving Land in Worcestershire, Gloucefterfhire, &c. or any of the Coal Countries.

Obfervations concerning the Improvement of Beans and Peafe. In a Letter to Mr. R. Trotter of Newbold Verdon, in Leicestershire, May 3. 1722.

SIR,

YOUR

OUR great Curiofity in Hufbandry gives me an Opportunity of communicating to you fome Thoughts and Experiments, which will be of great Advantage to those who cultivate Beans and Peafe, either for Seed or otherwife.

First, It is a common Cuftom amongst the Farmers, when they are once provided with any fort of Seed, to fow the fame Sort continually upon their Farms, and thereby render it in Course of Time, quite unprofitable; for where any Sort of Seed, tho' never so good at first, when 'tis brought into a Country, has been cultivated for three or four Years fucceffively in the fame Air and Situation, tho' the Spot of Land be varied from Acre to Acre, or those Grounds enrich'd from Time to Time with Manures; yet Experience fhews us, that fuch

Seed

Seed will degenerate, and lofe its first Excellence; fo that, as I have obferv'd in fome of my monthly Writings, I ftill advife, that when we once become Mafters of a good Sort of Seed, we should at leaft put it into two or three Hands, where the Soils and Situations are as different as poffible; and every Year the Parties fhould change with one another; by which means I find the Goodness of the Seed will be maintain'd for feveral Years. For want of this 'Ufe, many Farmers have fail'd in their Crops, and been great Lofers. When I have had the best Sorts of Lettuce, Onions, Peafe, Beans, and other Seeds, I have found that, in a Year or two, they have degenerated in my Garden; but the Seeds of them which I gave away to my Friends, preferv'd their firft Goodness; and I have receiv'd fome Seeds of their faving, which have brought me as good Crops as I had at firft.

Secondly, It has been a great Neglect, that our Farmers have not been Curious enough to enquire into feveral Sorts of Beans and Pease, which Kinds of them produce the greatest Crops. I have known fome Kinds of Peafe that have produced about forty Cods each Plant, and each Cod two, or at most three Peafe apiece. So that to make an eafy Computation of the Increase of one Plant, it might produce in a Year (or Summer) about a hundred Pease for Seed. On the other Hand, we have fome Sorts of Peafe that will produce about thirty Cods upon a Plant, and one with another, will yield feven or eight Pease each Cod, and then a single Plant will yield in one Year after the Rate of feven in each Shell, two hundred and ten Peafe, which is above double the Number of thofe mention'd above, and the Pease are also larger than those

that

that bring fo few. So that in the Measure, there will be near two Thirds difference, between the first and the laft Kinds. In Beans likewise, it is obfervable, that fome are apt to grow tall and long-jointed, while others are low and fhortjointed, and bear full Crops of Fruit, even to yield half as much more in Measure as thofe do which are long-jointed. Mr. Smith, a good Gardener at Putney, is, I think, the only one who has taken Notice of this, and has gain'd Profit by it. Among fome Soil which was brought into his Garden, there was a Bean accidentally grew up, which brought a greater Quantity of Beans than ever he had feen before upon one Plant; he faved the Seed of this, and by changing it from Place to Place, became Master of the most profitable Sort of Bean in that Country, and now ufes no other Sort in his Garden. 'Tis now a Time of Year when Things of this Nature fhould be enquired into: I have already mark'd feveral near London, and I wish you would do the like in the Country; for in these Plants we ought as much to observe, which are the best Bearers, as when we chufe our FruitTrees, for the Profit will be in Proportion. Neither do I find that these profitable Sorts of Beans and Pease are lefs agreeable to the Tafte than the others; the larger Kinds are generally as fweet as the fmaller Sorts: And 'tis a Maxim founded upon Experiment, that the larger a Bean or Pea is, fo much more Room and Air it requires to perfect its Growth, and ripen its Fruit.

Thirdly, It is a Cuftom among the Farmers (without great Reafon) to fow fome Crops of Beans and Peafe before Christmas, and others early in the Spring, as in February, for Exam

ple;

ple; the Confequence is, That these two Crops bring their Fruit at one Time, and therefore, about London, the Markets are glutted with them, and their Price is fmall. Befides, those that are put in before Christmas, are endanger'd by the Frofts, and are often loft, which is a Hazard that we need not venture, unless we have Shelter for them, and the Help of a Wall.

But let us fuppofe that we have three or four Crops, which were planted at as many different Seafons, that all are tending to bear Fruit together, as I have obferv'd oftentimes; we may prevent this Inconvenience two Ways: Either by Tranfplanting fome of them, when they are about four Inches high, or cut them down when they are about that height; and then we shall find a confiderable Difference in the Ripening of their Crops. But if we let them grow till they are knotted for Bloffom, before we cut them down, then the young Shoots which fpring from the Bottom, will, in a little more than a Week, if the Weather be hot, fhoot out full of FlowerBuds, and come not above a Week later than they would have done, if they had not been cut down. For the Juices in the Plant were then all fo well digefted and prepar'd for Bloffom, that where-ever they could fpring or appear, they muft immediately tend to Flower; whereas, when the Juices in the main Stem, were raw and undigested, and the Defign of Bloffoming was not perfect in it, then the Juices in the other Part of the fame Plant, must be of the fame Kind; and a Plant cut down in that State, will fling out Off-fets, which, befides a Time for their Growth, must have due Time to digeft and put themselves into a Bearing Pofture; which, from Obfervation, I find to be a Month or

five Weeks, if the Weather be moderate; or fomewhat lefs, if it is very warm.

I am yours, &c.

R. B.

A Method of improving Ground in Worcefterfhire, Gloucefterfhire, or any of the Coal Countries.

T

O introduce this Method among fuch Perfons as are willing to improve their Lands for Corn, in fuch Places, where Coals are found in Plenty, it will be necessary to obferve two Things.

First, That the Land in fuch Countries is generally ftrong Clay; and most frequently is that Kind, which is call'd blue Clay.

Secondly, That Pit-Coal, when it burns to Afhes, is generally reduc'd into fharp Particles; as rude to the Touch, as the sharpest Sea-Sand; and therefore there cannot be any thing more proper to divide or open the Parts of the ftiff Clay, than fuch Coal-Afhes. But, concerning the Salts which are found in Afhes of all forts, I fhall not here take Notice of them, nor their Ufe in Vegetation: Having already, in my former Works, mention'd fomething relating to them.

A Gen

1