294 Norfolk Farmincj. 



" colder ") In return ; but the covenant prices of hay and roots 

 have become so high, that for these and the clover seeds the in- 

 coming tenant on good land has to pay as much as 50s. per acre 

 on his entire farm, and the occupier of lighter lands in smaller 

 proportions, A great deal of hay has been valued within the last 

 three years at 4Z. and 4/. 4^. per ton, and swedes at G/. per acre. 

 The only portion of the Norfolk covenants which is really 

 worth the price paid for it is a good crop of mangold wurtzel. 

 This may weigh 30 tons per acre, and would be valued at 11. ; 

 but before this crop is used there is a serious outlay on it. It 

 has to be pulled, topped, loaded, carted, stacked, thatched, 

 banked, uncovered, trimmed, and carted again, before the roots 

 are ready for the stock. 



It would be a great improvement if tlie tenancies of farms 

 commenced at New instead of Old Michaelmas. A fortnight at 

 that season is invaluable to the new tenant, and the old one has 

 literally nothing to do. On entering a farm on the 11th of Oc- 

 tober there are some stubbles to clean for rye and vetches, the 

 muck to cart, the ley ground, to plough and sow with wheat, per- 

 haps some corn to deliver, and certainly there are the mangolds 

 to store. All this has to be done in six weeks, not unfrequently 

 the wettest season of the year. The loss of that fortnight between 

 New and Old Michaelmas throws an incoming tenant back a 

 whole year. His autumn tillage cannot be done, his wheats are 

 late and often a poor thin plant, and some of his mangolds are 

 still abroad when the first frost sets in. On entering a Norfolk 

 farm, this Old Michaelmas day is a great evil ; yet, like many 

 other grievances, it is upheld, not from any compensating benefit 

 it possesses, but simply from the difficulties and inconveniences 

 which must ever attend the first deviation from an old and almost 

 universal custom. 



Notwithstanding all the increased facilities for growing roots 

 which artificial manures afford, the turnip crop throughout Nor- 

 folk does not greatly increase in quantity, and certainly is worse 

 in quality. Whether it is from over stimulation or from too 

 frequent repetition, the swedes sown are attacked Avith all sorts 

 of new diseases, and show a greater tendency to decay. White 

 turnips, from not bearing to be forced or sown early, are less 

 grown than formerly ; but if they are planted in reasonable time 

 they produce more early feed at less expense than swedes, and 

 are often sound and good till the middle of December : but man- 

 gold wurtzel is decidedly the favourite root now. It is easier to 

 grow 30 tons of mangolds per acre than 20 of swedes, and they 

 do not mind the drought of summer. Last season the swedes in 

 Norfolk were the worst that have been known for years : they 



