FARMERS' REGISTER— SOILS AND SUBSOILS— WORKING HORSES, &c. 81 



Q^ualities of Soils and Subsoils. 



Extract from Marshall's Rui-al Economy of Norfolk, (England.) 



A singular uniformity of soil prevails through- 

 out this country : there is not, perhaps, an acre in 

 it, which does not come under the idea of a sandy 



LOAM. 



Its quality, however, varies widely, both as to 

 texture and productiveness. The northern part 

 of the district abounds with barren heaths and 

 unfertile enclosures ; v,hile the southern Hundreds 

 are principally covered with a richer, deeper, high- 

 ly productive soil. 



The soil, in general, however, may be termed 

 shallow: perhaps six, perhaps five, inches may be 

 taken as the medium depth. 



Immediately under the cultivated soil, a hard 

 crust — provincially " the pan" — occurs univer- 

 sally ; and, under this, substrata of various quali- 

 ties : an unfathomable ocean of sai^d may be con- 

 sidered as the prevailing substratum. In some 

 places a hungry gravel, but more frequently an 

 absorbent 6r(c^- ear/A, is the immediate subsoil. 

 3Idrl sometimes rises to near the surface, but sel- 

 dom so high as the pan. 



This seems to be universally considered as a 

 distinct something, poisonous in its nature, and 

 partaking neither of the soil nor the subsoil. It 

 is not my intention to ridicule this received opi- 

 nion ; it may be well founded ; but, to me, the pan 

 appears to be a production not of nature, but of 

 art ; or, to speak more accurately, a consequence 

 of the Norfolk culture carried on, time immemo- 

 rial, with the Norfolk plough ; — whose broad flat 

 share being held invariably in a horizontal posi- 

 tion, and (unless in fallowing,) invariably at the 

 same depth, the surface of the subsoil becomes 

 formed, by the action of the share, the pressure 

 and sliding of the heel of the plough, and the tramp- 

 ling of the horse into a firm even floor, upon which 

 the soil is turned and returned, in the same man- 

 ner it would be, if spread on a floor of stone, or 

 other material. 



But be this as it may, and whether the pan be a 

 natural or a factitious production, — it is a fact well 

 established, that breaking it up by ploughing be- 

 low the accustomed depth, is very injurious to 

 succeeding crops. 



Two reasons may be offered in explanation of 

 this effect ; the pan, year after year, and, perhaps, 

 century after century, has been a receptacle of the 

 seeds of weeds; which, by being trodden or other- 

 wise pressed into it, have remained there, locked 

 up from the sun and air, and thereby deprived of 

 the power of vegetation. But no sooner are these 

 seeds released from their confinement by being 

 brought to the surface v/ith the plough, than they 

 vegetate in myriads, to the annoyance of the crop. 



The other reason is this : — the firm close con- 

 texture of the pan renders it in a degree water- 

 tight; it is, at least, a check to the rain-water, 

 Avhich sinks through the soil ; prolonging its stay 

 in the sphere of vegetation. But the pan being- 

 broken, the filter is no more; and the rain, which 

 is not immediately retained by the soil, escapes ir- 

 retrievably info an insatiable bed of sand, — or 

 some other absorbent subsoil. 



For, if we except a few quicksands, which oc- 

 cur on the margins of meadows, and the peat bogs 

 which occupy their areas, there is not, in the dis- 

 trict, an acre of retentive subsoil. 



Vol. I.— II 



"^Vorking^ asicl Feeding Horses, 



Five horses are here called " a teamer," and are 

 usually placed under the care of one " teamer- 

 man ;" who, in more leisure times, ploughs with 

 two of them in the morning, and with other two 

 in the afternoon ; but, in general, a laborer, or^a 

 boy, works one pair of them while the teamerman 

 works the other pair, two journeys a day ; having 

 always, in this case, one horse at rest. 



But in seed time, moi'e particularly in " barley 

 feel," the fifth horse goes to harrow ; every horse 

 upon the farm going to work at six or seven in 

 the morning, and stays till twelve ; goes out again 

 at one or two, and remains at work till six or se- 

 ven. 



In a wagon upon the road five horses are uni- 

 versally in use. 



"Whether upon the road or on the farm, the 

 common practice is for the horses to trot with emp- 

 ty carriages. 



The keep of horses in Norfolk, notwithstanding 

 the work they go through, is less expensive than that 

 of other places, where large unwieldy horses seem 

 to be kept for state, rather than for labor. This, 

 though prevalent in many well cultivated districts, 

 is an evident absurdity. There may be cases, in 

 which heavy loads are to be drawn short distances, 

 and where the number of horses is limited, as in 

 London ; in which cases, heavy powerful horses 

 may be eligible ; but, from the observations I 

 have been able to make, a compact horse is much 

 fitter for the ^•aried employments upon a farm ; 

 and, with respect to keep, a main consideration in 

 the choice of a farm horse, the advantage is great- 

 ly in favor of small horses. The present breed in 

 Norfolk, still retaining a considerable portion of 

 the original blood, is kept at half the expense at 

 which many farm horses in different parts of the 

 kingdom, are supported. 



In the leisure months of winter, barley straw 

 is, in general, their only rack meat ; and through 

 winter emd spring, they are suppered up with it ; 

 except, perhaps, m the hurry of barley seedtime; 

 against Avhich a reserve of clover hay is made ; 

 provided the teamerman does not make away with 

 it before that time. A Norfolk farmer has a si- 

 milar difficulty in preventing his men from steal- 

 ing hay, as those of other countries have to keep 

 them from pilfering more than their allowance of 

 corn. 



I met with one instance, in which a judicious re- 



fulation was made, with respect to horse hay. At 

 lichaelmas, the master sets apart what he consi- 

 ders as a sufficient quantity to last to the close of 

 barley seedtime. This allowance he consigns 

 wholly to the care of his men ; who never fail to 

 husband it in such a manner as to have the neces- 

 sary reserve at barley feel ; whereas before he fell 

 upon this regulation, his horses were either work- 

 ed down to skeletons, or he was obliged to buy 

 hay for them at that season. 



With respect to corn, a bushel each horse, a 

 week, is, hi the busiest season, considered as an am- 

 ple allowance ; in more leisure times, a much less 

 quantity suffices. 



Oats are the usual horse corn ; but barley, when 

 cheap or unsaleable, is sometimes given to horses. 

 In this case it is generally " malted;'' that is, 

 steeped, and afterAviuxls spread abroad, for a few 



