3 92 Letter from a Scots Farwefy OQ.. 



The management of dung is hrre well underllood, as none 

 is laid upon the ground, but what is in the mofb perfeft 

 rotten ftate. It appeared that a year's dung is in molt cafes 

 kept on band, or otherwife it is difficult to conceive how the 

 preparation of it could be fo forward. The farmers were 

 bufy in driving it out to their turnip-fields, upon which dung 

 in no cafe fhould be applied, unlefs fully ripe. / 



Every agriculturift has heard of Norfolk^ and its hufband- 

 ry ; and perhaps no more has been faid in its favour than 

 is juflly merited. With a large portion of fandy foil upon 

 a bottom of chalk, it is one of the rnoft productive counties in 

 the kingdom, and, acre for acre, exports more produce than 

 any other dillri£t. To what caufe can this fuperior produce 

 be affigned .'' Other counties have better foil, as good a cli- 

 mate, fuperior local advantages, and yet are undoubtedly far 

 behind this celebrated diflritl, in the extent of rural commo- 

 dities carried to market. 



Many caufcs may be afligned for this celebrity, which we 

 fhall llightly notice : u/. The greateil part of the land is un- 

 der leafe. idly. The farms are of conliderable fize. 3^'/)', As 

 few manufadlures, except at Norwich, are carried on, the "ca- 

 pital flock of the inhabitants is chiefly employed in cultiva- 

 tion. Lastly, The turnip fyftem being early introduced, prov- 

 ed of effential fervice, in bringing the numerous and origi- 

 nally barren fands of the diilridi into a fertile and produclive 

 condition. 



The defective parts of the Norfolk management (and we 

 ftate them with dilhdence) are, the general ufe of wheel- 

 ploughs -, the com-rncn mode of raifing turnips, viz. in the 

 broad-caft w^ay \ and the folding of iheep. Thefc are un- 

 doubtedly antiquated practices, and ought to be exploded by 

 fuch enlightened cultivators. 



Wkcel-pl'jughs have certain properties which are not pof- 

 fefled by the f win g- plough ; fuch as— they may be pitched 

 to any deepncfs neceflary, and the breadth of the furrow 

 may be regulated with almoft mathematical exaCtnefs. 

 They are alfo capable of being wrought by unexperienced 

 ploughmen, which is not the cafe with the fwing-plough \ 

 but, perhaps, to this fource may be traced the very general 

 bad ploughing pra6lifed in many parts of England With- 

 out, however, enlarging upon this topic, it may be added, 

 that the incrcafed friction of the wheels overbalances any 

 benefit gained by the uniform- deepnefs with which the 

 inflrum.ent goes j and that a fwing-plough, provided with a 



{imilar 



