OLD AND NEW HUSBANDRY 55 



the turning of the compost about 20 more ; making 

 together 132 days. 



4. I have introduced this year the Norfolk practice 

 of dibbling wheat. This occupies two men and six 

 children for 30 days, at the rate of half an acre per 

 man per day. Computing the six children equal to 

 one man, the dibbling gives extra employment of 90 

 days. The expense is paid in the saving of seed, to 

 say nothing of the increased produce, which is es- 

 timated by the best Norfolk farmers at a sack per 

 acre.* 



5. Extra weeding, throwing ditches, draining, &c., 

 may occupy about 80 days. 



Let us now recapitulate 



Collecting litter ...... 150 days 



Feeding stock in yards . . . .150 



Carting earth and dung . . . .132 



Dibbling wheat 90 



Extra weeding, draining, &c. . . 80 



Total 602 



At 300 working days in the year, this is equal to 

 two labourers extra, winter and summer, employed 

 on a farm containing only about 120 acres of arable 

 land. 



It is not easy to estimate with precision the in- 

 creased amount of produce which a farmer may ex- 

 pect to obtain in consequence of such an increased 

 outlay in labour ; the less so as that increased produce 

 does not make itself felt the first, second, or third 

 year to the full extent : indeed, I have heard an in- 

 telligent fanner say, that he has observed a progres- 

 sive improvement in his land during no less than 

 twenty years, from persisting in a system of high 

 cultivation. I beg leave to introduce here the esti- 

 mate of Von Thaer : 



* A sack is four bushels. 



