OF NORFOLK. 



47 



tion, that even hand hoeing often cleans land more than deep 

 ploughing ; for the latter only turns the roots of the weeds 

 over, which gives them frefh vigour, by the motion, but the 

 latter more effectually deftroys them, by bleeding them (if I 

 may be allowed the expreffion) at the neck of the root. An- 

 other ftrong argument, in my opinion, in favour of fhallow 

 ploughing, or rather, againft very deep ploughing, is, that 

 there is a lefs body of earth to keep in heart and good condi- 

 tion, and the manure, which has always a tendency to elcape 

 downwards, is kept longer near the furface. 



(£) The following remark is made by Sir Thomas Beevor. 

 " A quarter of wheat, weighing 60 lb. to the bufhel, pro- 

 " ducing about 480 lb. of white bread, (the only bread the 

 11 poor fhould eat) will give about 19 oz. per diem, which is 

 " as little as can well be allowed to each perfon, being almoft 

 " the only food of the poor, and in the houfes of induflry and 

 " prifons the allowance is not lefs than 2 lb. and if lb. per 

 " diem, fix bufhels therefore, which will give but about 15 

 " oz. per diem, it is apprehended, is beneath the quantity 

 " confumed." I believe Sir Thomas is quite right, if his re- 

 mark is applied merely to the labourers in agriculture, allow- 

 ing them white bread only ; but, if the whole of the fuperior, 

 middling, and manufacturing claffes of mankind, who eat 

 plenty of meat, be taken into the calculation ; and ftandard, 

 inftead of white bread, be eaten, I do not think that, one 

 with another, more is confumed than fix bufhels by one per- 

 fon in the courle of a year. 



(c) Mr. Howlett favs, " fome perfons in this neighbourhood, 

 " (meaning Dunmow, in Effex,) fo far reverfe this practice, 

 " that they prefer year old wheat to new, and think that they 

 " thereby (ccurc their crop more effectually from being fmit- 

 " ten. '1 his, perhaps, merits further enquiry." This gen- 

 tleman has totally mid uk'.-n my meaning. I do not lay .mv 



thin-* 



