284 Norfolk Farming. 



forked at that price, then it is cheaper to clean it by horse-power, 

 A little knot of couch, if pounced on as soon as the corn is off, 

 is easily removed from the soil by a fork ; but if it is raised by 

 a scarifier, and torn into shreds by the harrow, it may be carried 

 over half an acre, and will become diflficult to collect. Forking 

 between the drills of turnips is also a capital plan : notwithstand- 

 ing all the farmer's care, in some wet seasons a bit or two of 

 couch will escape the campaign of the fallows, and flourish among 

 the fine mould and rich manures of the root-crop. The use of 

 the fork in such a case is invaluable, and as soon as the turnip- 

 leaves begin to fall in autumn, it is a common practice to have 

 the ground overlooked, that the couch and other root-weeds may 

 be forked out, and the land rendered perfectly clean. 



The Norfolk, or four-course, shift is going out of favour in its 

 native county. At any rate it is not so rigidly adhered to as 

 formerly. For many years two white-straw crops in succession 

 liave been taken in some of the good deep soils of East Norfolk, 

 but, until recently, such a deviation from the established rule 

 was considered bad farming in the West. The very mention of 

 such a thing was a perfect shock to some landlords. But what 

 is the use of artificial food and manures, of new implements, of 

 extra capital, and of all our recent improvements, if we cannot 

 grow more corn, ay, and grow it more frequently too ? Already 

 the land is stimulated to such an extent that it is dangerous to 

 force it further, unless some means be discovered to keep the straw 

 from lodging. As it seems impossible to grow more corn in one 

 year with any certainty, the next step is to grow it in more frequent 

 rotation. As long as a tenant keeps his land clean and in good 

 heart, the conditions of good farming are complied with, even if an 

 extra white-straw crop be taken. Even on the Holkham estate — 

 that fostering parent and stanch supporter of the four-course ro- 

 tation — the tenants are allowed to grow as many oats on their 

 wheat-stubbles as they consume on the farm. In order to show that 

 these extra crops can be grown without in any way injuring the 

 fertility of the soil, a field of oats, which in 185G attracted much 

 notice at Castle Acre, is brought forward as a successful in- 

 stance. The field in question contains 46 acres, and soon after the 

 harvest of 1855 the little couch-grass that was in the wheat- 

 stubble was forked out. During the winter turnip-tops, &c., 

 were thrown on the land for the ewes, which were removed at 

 night, and in February the field was regularly folded over with 

 2000 sheep, eating 5 tons of mangolds per acre and i lb, of oil- 

 cake each per day. The ground was then ploughed, and 2 cwt. 

 of guano an acre sown on tlie weakest portion of the field ; white 

 Tartarian oats were drilled in March, and were afterwards top- 

 dressed with 1 cwt. of nitrate of soda and 2 of common salt. The 



