1782. 



NORFOLK. 



^EN. MAN*. 



OF FARMS. 



But cuftom and prejudice are doughty 

 champions to deal with : whilft a Norfolk 

 farmer is bellowing more " coft" upon his 

 arable land than, at the prefent prices of corn, 

 he can ever regain from it, he is " doing 

 rarely well by his land ;'* but the moment the 

 foot of improvement fteps on to his grafs- 

 lands, be it even to open a few gripes to let 

 off the furface-water, the eyes of the country 

 are upon him , for he is " buying his mea- 

 dows." Were he to carry a Joad of muck 

 from his par-yard on to his meadow-land, a 

 ilatute of lunacy would be the probable con- 

 fequence. 



Prejudice, however, is not the only thing MEADOWS. 

 againft the improvement of the Norfolk mea- 

 dows. A want of knowledge in the art of 

 draining is a fifter.caufe ; for of the few who 

 attempt to drain their meadows, fcarcely 

 any arc acquainted with the method of 

 performing it property. They make their 

 drains much too fmall, too numerous, and 

 cut them in improper directions ; nor do 

 they ever go to a proper depth to do 

 the work effectually ; for fhould they chance 

 to dip to a bed of gravel they have done won- 

 ders, and there they (lop ; for their fpades 

 and " mud-crooms" can go no farther. 



G 4 Nor 



