103 



Scotch farming-, which I regret never having had the 

 opportunity of seeing, is highly spoken of. As the Scotch 

 are a most industrious and persevering people, it may fairly 

 be concluded that the general cultivation of the land in 

 Scotland may be superior to the general cultivation of 

 England ; but were modes of cultivation known and prac- 

 tised there, superior to any in England, as many suppose, 

 some large lai:ded proprietors would not, most probably, 

 have sent their bailiffs to Holkham, to see the system of 

 husbandry carried on there. Scotch one-horse ploughs are 

 highly spoken of; I never saw one, but can conceive that 

 they may be most useful implements, on light soils. Thef 

 drill system, which was introduced at Holkham, and 

 Woburn Abbey, about forty years ago, may be considered 

 one of the greatest improvements in the cultivation of land ; 

 for, it is not only the means of having a less quantity of 

 what is called tailing corn, but it enables the cultivator to 

 keep the land cleaner than the broadcast sowing will admit 

 of ; this forms the real difference between good and bad 

 farming. 



Perhaps the most important introduction into British 

 agriculture was the Swedish Turnip. It is my belief that 

 without this valuable root, a sufficient quantity of animal 

 food could not have been produced for our present popu. 

 lation ; but with this, the fear of not having a sufficiency 

 to answer the demand of an increasing population, need 

 not be entertained.* Mangel Wuizel was also a valuable 

 introduction, but will never come into such general culti- 

 vation. There is much hazard in the plants getting above 

 ground, but afterwards there is but little more trouble with 

 the crop than with Swedish turnips. 



1 Farming, in former times, was neither the active nor the 

 thoughtful employment it has now become. I cannot re- 

 frain from calling the attention of those young men who are 

 not willing to enter into any Other line of life, to an extract 

 from my printed address to the members of the North- 

 amptonshire Farming and Grazing Society, dated Sept. 12, 

 1828: "It is an old remark, that there are two ways of 



* In page 16, the seven lines which precede Swedish Turnips ought to 

 have come after. 



