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XIII. — Recent Improvements in Norfolk Farming. 

 By Clake Sewell Eead. 



Fifteen years ago the Royal Agricultural Society offered its 

 50/. prize for the best Report on Norfolk Farming. Probably 

 few unconnected with the county remember the circumstances 

 of its adjudication. It was justly awarded to Mr. R. N. Bacon, 

 for a Report, whose length, correctness of detail, and valuable 

 statistical information, were never equalled in any similar essay 

 furnished to the Society. It was so voluminous that but little 

 of the matter could have appeared in the Journal at one time, 

 and the author obtained permission to publish his Report in a 

 separate form. This was certainly an unfortunate arrangement 

 for the members of the Society. Instead of the essay appearing 

 in the Journal by thousands, the circulation of the Report was 

 confined to some hundred copies, and did not extend far beyond 

 the county of Norfolk. The fact that Mr. Bacon's Report fills 

 more than 400 pages of a large octavo volume will furnish some 

 idea of the extent and completeness of the work. 



The Society, in order that its members should see some 

 account of Norfolk agriculture, printed the unsuccessful essay, 

 written by Mr. Barugh Almack of London. This was a concise 

 and readable Report, giving in a condensed form a large amount 

 of practical information, and containing a very good description of 

 the general state of Norfolk farming. This essay appeared in 

 the fifth volume of the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal. 



The writer of these remarks feels much gratified at being 

 requested to compile a few notes on the improvements which 

 have taken place in Norfolk farming since these Reports appeared, 

 and his absence from his native county from 1847 to 1855 may 

 constitute him a better judge of the progx-ess of its agriculture 

 than if he had been a constant resident in Norfolk during that 

 period. 



In endeavouring to sketch this progression, many improve- 

 ments may be noticed that are common to the kingdom at large. 

 This of course cannot be avoided, and it is hoped that the 

 mention of them will not be construed into any desire to confine 

 the credit of such improvements to the county of Norfolk. 



The different soils of the county may be ranged under five 

 heads. First in extent and importance is that part of West 

 Norfolk which rests on the upper chalk — a naturally weak soil, 

 but which, by good husbandry, has been made to produce abun- 

 dant crops. 2ndly, That large tract of blowing sand which com- 

 prises a great portion of the south-west of the county, a district 

 formerly all rabbit-warren and sheep-walk, and which, though 

 much improved, must ever remain poor and comparatively barren 



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