l8oo. during a Tour through England. 391 



fallow as ElTex ; the confequences of which are, — the ground 

 Is dirty, being (locked with annual and perennial weeds, in 

 ftead of corn and artificial graflcs ; unproductive to the pof- 

 feflbrs, becaufe the ilrength of the foil is carried off by the 

 aboriginal inhabitants, who enjoy an hypothec preferable ei- 

 ther to the Crown or Landlord j and incapable of receiving 

 fuitable cultivation, until they are difpoflefled. 



The great obje£t of the ElTex Farmer appears to be, to 

 raife wheat ; and, in our view, three eighths of the arable 

 land were carrying that golden crop. We faw few oats ; 

 not a great breadth of barky ; while perhaps one half of the 

 diftri£l vv^as under the meliorating crops of clover, beans, 

 peas, potatoes, and turnips. If there be a juft principle in 

 farming, it is to have culmiferous and leguminous crops al- 

 ternately J and in ElTex this principle fecms to be adhered to 

 fteadily. It is not a matter of great importance, which of 

 the varieties, that is to fay, whether wheat, barley, or oats, 

 are taken as the culmiferous crop ; but the fele61:ion ought to 

 be made in conformity to the foil, feafon, climate, and mar- 

 kets. Thefe circumftances all operate here in preference of 

 ■wheat, and the Effex farmers very judicioufly beftow their 

 chief attention to its culture. 



We were, in truth, greatly delighted with the hufbandry 

 of Eflex, as it is, in a manner, all cultivated like a garden. 

 The pcffeflbrs are in a flourifliing (late, and marks of opu- 

 lence are difcernible among the great body of them. 



After viewing the town of Ipfwich^ which is a large place, 

 we proceeded through the county of Suffolk, which, making 

 allowance for local circumilauces, is under fimilar good ma- 

 nagement with Eflex. 'The foil, however, is not fo deep j 

 a great part of it is incumbent upon fand and chalk; and the 

 diftance from London leflens the value of the commodities 

 produced. The cultivation was admirable, the rotations ex- 

 cellent, the lands clean, and the crops which covered the /oil 

 V^ere weighty and luxuriant. 



Here the ivhetl-plough came under our infpe£i:Ion ; but it 

 ihall be noticed at greater length, when we enter upon the 

 hulbandry of Norfolk. The beft breed of horfes for country 

 wie is to be ften in Suffolk ; they are not very tall, but 

 broad, full barrelled, well (houldered, and generally of a chef- 

 nui colour. They are of an excellent fize and Ilrength for 

 rural employment, and, except in the difference of colour, 

 bear a greater aflinity to our beft Lanarklhire horfes, than any 

 Other breed in the ifland. 



The 



