1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



317 



From the Code of Jlgricultwre, of the 5th Edition, 1832. 

 ON THE ROTATION OF CROPS ON THE ES- 

 TATE OF HOLKHAM, BY FRANCIS BLAIKIE, 

 ESQ. 



When an account is given, of the rotation of 

 crops in any particular estate or district, it is proper, 

 that the soil and situation should be described at 

 the same time, so that the reader may be better 

 enabled to judge of the propriety of the system. 

 For instance, upon Mr. Coke's estate in West 

 Norfolk, which is celebrated for its good husban- 

 dry, the soil varies from light dry sand, to strong 

 loam, retentive of wet. But the greater part of 

 the land is a friable sandy ioam, naturally poor, 

 but very productive, from being kept in a high 

 state of cultivation. The subsoil of the whole 

 district is calcareous, and is called clay, marl, or 

 chalk, according to its texture. 



First Rotation. 



The best, or first class of this land, is cultivated, 

 either upon/the four course shift, or upon the four 

 and six courses alternately, as follows: 



The Four Course Shift. — 1. Turnips well ma- 

 nured, and part of the crop eaten upon the ground, 

 or turnips and mangle wurzel, ( : 'field beet,") in 

 alternate ridges of four or more drills; the beet all 

 drawn oil', and consumed in the yards — and tur- 

 nips eaten upon the* ground; — 2. Barley; — 3. Red 

 clover, mown once; — the second crop folded, and 

 eaten off by sheep— a fresh piece being set out 

 every day; — 4. Wheat. 



The Six Course Shift. — 1. Turnips well ma- 

 nured and part eaten on the ground; — 2. Barley; 

 — 3. White clover and mixed seeds, mown once; 

 — 4. Pasture; — 5. Peas; — 6. -Wheat with ma- 

 nure. Thus, in the ten years, the land received 

 three dressings of manure, exclusive of the sheep- 

 fold; and produced two crops of turnips, two of 

 barley, two of wheat, one of peas, one of clover 

 hay, one of mixed grass hay, and one year's pas- 

 ture. The four or six course shifts, taken alter- 

 nately, are preferable to a constant repetition of 

 four course husbandry, and should be adopted, 

 whenever a convenient opportunity occurs. 



To a person unacquainted with the manage- 

 ment of light arable land, and the use of rape cake, 

 it will appear,1 hat the three dressings of manure here 

 mentioned, exclusive of the sheep-fold, are extra- 

 ordinary high firming. But when the expense, 

 and speedy application of the manure are pointed 

 out, the wonder ceases. Thus, the average price 

 of rape cake, including the expense of breaking; 

 the same into a powdered state, has, in the last 

 ten years, been about 5£ 10s. a ton, and that 

 quantity is usually allowed to three acres of land; 

 and suppose rape cake manure only is used, and 

 three dressings given in ten years, the whole 

 comes to eleven shillings per acre per annum. The 

 expense of laying on the manure is a mere trifle. 

 A common wagon carries enough for six acres at 

 one load; and one man sows by hand, broadcast, 

 three tons of rape dust in one day, with which he 

 covers nine acres, and for which the usual pay is 

 one shilling a ton or fourpence the acre. The Holk- 

 ham horse machine, for sowing rape dust broad- 

 cast, is more expensive than the hand process; but 

 it spreads the manure, more regularly, and is more 

 expeditious. It is particularly calculated for large 

 farms. 



Second Rotation. 



Cropping for the second class of land. 



A Four and a Five alternate Course Shift. — 

 The occupier uses his discretion in having any 

 particular part ot* the larm in a four course, and 

 other parts in a five course, so that, "on the whole, 

 he has not, in any one year, more than four-ninth 

 parts of the said arable lands, under crops of corn, 

 grain, or pulse." 



The four crops on land of the second class, are, 

 1. Turnips well manured, and all or nearly all the 

 crop eaten upon the ground; — 2. Barley; — 3. Red 

 clover, mown once, the second crop sheep-folded, 

 and if a weak crop, the stubble is mucked, or oil 

 caked for the succeeding crop; — 4. Wheat. 



The Five Course. — 1. Turnips well manured, 

 and all, or nearly all the crop eaten upon the 

 ground: — 2. Barlej - ; — 3. Mixed grasses, mown 

 once; — 4. Pasture: — Wheat with manure. In 

 the nine years, the land is manured three or four 

 times, exclusive of the sljeep-lbld: and produces 

 two crop of turnips, two of barley, two of wheat, 

 one of clover hay, one of mixed grass hay, and 

 one year's pasture. 



Two years crass' layers upon light land, are li- 

 able to be stocked with wire-worms. Where that 

 misfortune is apprehended, it is advisable to reece- 

 balk the land in preparation for the wheat crop. 

 The reece-balking, or rib-balking, is done soon 

 after midsummer, and is perlbrmed by a common 

 wheel plough with a broad-winged share. The 

 land is only half broken; the turf or flag in the 

 alternate rib, being skimmed off about two inches 

 deep, and thrown flat on its back, the grass side 

 down upon the unbroken ground. The effect of 

 this practice is, that the wire- worms and grubs 

 creep to the outsides of the ribs, and are eagerly 

 picked up by the rooks. Those sagacious, useful 

 birds, are generally in close attendance when wire- 

 worms and other destructive insects are plentiful. 

 Gamekeepers raise a hue and cry against rooks, 

 pretending, that they destroy the eggs of pheas- 

 ants and partridges. Those people are generally 

 more attentive to the raising of rabbits, than they 

 are to the preservation of birds; and the poor rooks 

 are a convenient apology for the deficiency of game. 

 When there are no rooks, the gamekeepers attach 

 the blame to the cuckoo, to unfavorable weather, 

 &c. &c. &c. 



There is no loss in pasturage, from reece-balk- 

 ing two year's layers upon light land. The spring 

 feed is eaten off" before the ground is broken, and 

 the grass grows vigorously afterwards, from the 

 sides of the furrows in the ribs, and produces more 

 good sheep feed than if the turf had not been dis- 

 turbed. In the autumn, the broken turf is har- 

 rowed across the ribs, and drawn into the spaces 

 from whence it was cut. The turf on the unbro- 

 ken ground is also tendered, or half rotten by the 

 time, from the broken turf having lain upon it, 

 and thence excluding the air. The ground is then 

 manured all over, generally with rape cake in cob- 

 ble, and in the proportion of about a ton to three 

 acres. The ground is immediately ploughed at 

 the usual pitch, considerably deeper than the reece- 

 balking, and the broken turf effectually covered. 

 The wheat seed is thus drilled in at a proper sea- 

 son. 



When wheat is sown on light land, upon two 

 years' allafid, or layers unbroken, it is apt to suf- 



