82 FARMERS' REGISTER— BUCKWHEAT— DECOYS FOR WILD DUCKS. 



days, until it beo;in to vegetate ; and, in this cri- 

 sis, is given to the horses. It is thought to be less 

 heating in this state, than it is when given to the 

 horses in its natural state. 



Chaff is universally mixed with horse corn ; the 

 great quantities of corn grown in this country, af- 

 ford, in general, a sufficiency of natural chatf; so 

 that cut chaff is not much in use : the chaif, or 

 rather the awns, of barley, which in some places, 

 are thrown as useless to the dung hill, are here in 

 good esteem as horse provender. Oat chaff is de- 

 servedly considered as being of a much inferior 

 quality. 



The summer keep of horses, is, almost wholly, 

 clover : — some few tares are grown, but the quan- 

 tity is inconsiderable. 



Soiling horses, in the stable, is not here a prac- 

 tice ; except for baiting in the day time ; the hor- 

 ses being universally kept out at night ; and, gene- 

 rally, in clover lays. — [Ibid. 



JBuckwlieat, 



Buck is an object of the Norfolk culture, in a 

 twofold light. It is propagated as grain and as 

 MANURE : and it will be proper to view it in these 

 two lights. However, tiie main intention of its 

 propagation, Avhether as a crop, or as a meliora- 

 tion of the soil, being the same ; namely, the 

 cleansing of foul land ; it will be convenient to 

 keep the two objects in nearly the same point of 

 view. 



1. With respect to speciks, there is only one ; 

 this grain having not yet, I believe, run into any 

 varieties, sufficiently striking to have distinguish- 

 ing names appropriated to them. 



2. It is sown almost indiscriminately on all spe- 

 cies of soils ; except that li":ht poor land has the 

 preference ; indeed, it is to this species of soil that 

 buck seems most especially adapted. 



3. It likewise succeeds every species of crop; 

 the state of the soil, as to foulness and poverty, be- 

 ing generally more attended to than either the na- 

 ture of the soil or the crop it bore last. 



4. The soil process depends upon the state of the 

 soil, and the intention, jointly : if the soil be tole- 

 rably clean, and the buck be intended to be plough- 

 ed under as a manure, it is sown on one ploughing ; 

 but, in general, the ground is broken, as for bar- 

 ley or peas, to forward the falloAV, and secure a 

 crop. 



5. The seed process is the same for both inten- 

 tions ; excepting that, for a crop, the seed is soAvn 

 first; namely, immediately after barley feel : and 

 that intended to be ploughed under, is sown as soon 

 afterwards as the ground is in a state fit to receive 

 the seed. It is universally sown above furroAV. 

 The quantity of seed six pecks to two bushels an 

 acre. 



6. No vegetating process takes place; the growth 

 of buck is so rapid as to outstrip and smother al- 

 most every species of weeds ; an excellency pecu- 

 liar to this crop. 



Notwithstanding it is highly pi-obable that there 

 is more buck grown annually in Norfolk, than in 

 the other tliirty-nine counties of the kingdom, it is 

 all consumed in tlic neighborhood of its growth. 

 It is the universal food of swine and poultry; both 

 of which it fots quickly and well. It is sometimes 

 crushed for Jiigs, and sometimes given to them 

 whole : in this case, however, some judicious hus- 



bandmen mix a few oats or peas with it, in order 

 that the swine may grind it down the more effectu- 

 ally, and thereby prevent its passing through them 

 whole. 



Wheat after Buck ploughed vnder. — This is a 

 Aivorite practice among good farmers; and the 

 Norfolk ploughmen perform the operation of 

 ploughing the crop under, in a masterly style. — 

 They sweep it down by means of a brush or broom, 

 made of rough bushes fixed to the front of the 

 " fickle tow ;" or fore tackle of the plough, be- 

 tween the wheels; so as to bear down the buck 

 without lifting the wheels of the plough from the 

 ground. To prevent this, when tlie buck is stout, 

 it is first broken down by a roller, going the same 

 way as the plough is intended to go. This opera- 

 tion is performed when the plants are in their fullest 

 bloom. 



The surface is, sometimes, harrowed and rolled 

 after ploughing : sometimes left rough : the former 

 is perhaps the most eligible management. 



In either case, the soil remains in that state until 

 after harvest, v/hen it is harrowed and taken up a 

 full pitch, across the v/arps. 



At seedtime, it is harrowed, — rolled, — soAved, — 

 and usually gathered up into " narrow work," in 

 the manner above described. — {Ibid. 



Decoys for WiM Ducks. 



The lakes, and large pools, which abound in the 

 southern Hundreds of East Norfolk, are the nur- 

 series of innumerable flights of " wild fowl," of 

 various species, but principally ducks; which are 

 taken in great numbers in decoys, formed on the 

 margins of these Avaters; and Avhich, in eligible 

 situations, may Avell be considered as objects of ru- 

 ral economy. 



Much judgment is requisite in forming and ma- 

 naging a decoy. A gent'eman in this neighbor- 

 hood had a person out of Lincolnshire to make one 

 for him. But, after a great expense of cutting 

 pipes, fixing skreens, nets, &c. it proved un- 

 successful. The pipes Avere too straight, too 

 close and confined, and too narrow at the mouth; 

 without any banks for the Avild foAvl to bask upon. 

 Upon the whole, it was too much like a trap to be 

 taken. 



The leading principles of a decoy are these : 



The wild duck is a very shy bird, and delights in 

 retirement. The first step, therefore, is to endea- 

 vor to make the given Avater a peaceful asylum, 

 by suffering the ducks to rest on it undisturbed. 

 The same love of concealment leads them to be 

 partial to waters Avhose margins abound with un- 

 derAVOod and aquatic plants : hence, if the given 

 Avater is not already furnished Avith these appenda- 

 ges, they must be provided; for it is not retire- 

 ment, alone, Avhich leads them into these recesses, 

 but a search after food, also. 



Nevertheless, at certain times of the day, Avhen 

 Avild foAvl are off their feed, they are equally de- 

 lighted with a smooth, grassy margin, to adjust 

 and oil their plumage upon. On the close pastur- 

 ed margins of large waters frequented by wild 

 foAvl, hundreds may be seen amusing themselves 

 in this Avay: and, perhaps, nothing draAVS them 

 sooner to a Avater than a conveniency of this kind: 

 hence it becomes essentially necessary to success 

 to provide a grassy, shelving, smooth-shaven bank 

 at the mouth of the pipe, in order to draAV the 



