Norfolk Farming. 273i 



raised on a blowing sand, and are less affected by dry seasons 

 than barley or oats. 



It may be as well, before leaving these sandy soils, to mention 

 one peculiarity of the farming in the north-east corner of the 

 county. There is much light land in the vicinity of Cromer, 

 which was invariably farmed in a five-course shift, having two 

 years' grass seeds. In the second year the seeds were broken 

 up in July, and made a " bastard summer till," or fallow for 

 wheat. One could imagine no worse preparation for wheat on 

 such lands. The ground could not be consolidated, and every 

 facility was given for the swarms of winter annuals which infest 

 such soils to spring up and smother the plant. The farm manure 

 was wanted for turnips, and a one-year ley, left to its own resources, 

 grew but little wheat. Under the present system artificials are 

 used extensively for the root-crop, and as the soil is naturally kind 

 for a plant, pretty good turnips are raised. The farm manure is 

 thus set at liberty for the wheat, and a one-year ley, when well 

 dressed and once ploughed, will produce a fair crop of corn. 



Fir belts have recently been planted across many of the 

 open sandy districts of Norfolk. These rapidly grow up and 

 break the force of the wind, which is here one of the farmer's 

 worst enemies. The fences, too, of Scotch fir and spruce, make 

 capital shelter. They will grow where whitethorn will not 

 flourish, and if well cared for at first and kept properly trimmed, 

 soon make a strong, pretty, and durable fence. 



We now come to the field of the greatest improvement — the 

 light chalky soils of the west, — that portion of the county which 

 is commonly regarded as the true type of modern Norfolk 

 farming. It is just the district for this expensive style of agri- 

 culture. The soil is naturally weak, and if farmed badly will 

 ruin any man. It is nice working, friable land, has a good dry 

 subsoil, abounds in calcareous matter, is healthy for sheep, and 

 will bear forcing and top-dressing. The wonderful strides which 

 this district made between the times of Young's and Bacon's 

 Reports must be fresh in the mind of every British farmer. It 

 will be quite unnecessary to go over the history of that pro- 

 gression, or enlarge on the wonderful changes it produced. It 

 is the object of these few remarks to take up the story where 

 Mr. Bacon left off some 15 years ago. Perhaps it will be best 

 as well as easiest to touch upon the alterations and improve- 

 ments in the order in which they strike the eye in overlooking 

 the district. 



Foremost in this order of the eye, though not in real import- 

 ance, is the alteration in the fences. West Norfolk had always 

 good large fields, but the fences were great masses of whitethorn 

 some 8 or 12 feet high. These were cut off at stated periods, 



