34. NORFOLK. 311 



and of the entire county, taken in a genenl 

 point of view, are of a quality ungenial to the 

 natural grafles. If a piece of arable land be 

 laid down to grafs, in the courfe of a very few 

 years it becomes moffy and unprodu&ive, and 

 calls aloud for the plow and harrow. 



The other is, the high price which corn bore 

 a few years ago. This urged the farmer to in- 

 creafe his arable land to the ftretch : not only 

 UPLAND grafs, but even bogs appear to have 

 been fubjedtcd to the arable procefs; though, in 

 their prefent ftate, too moift and chilly to bear 

 even the finer graffes ; much more to fupporc 

 and mature profitable crops of corn. 



This is far from beino- intended as a sreneral 

 cenfure of the anxiety of the Norfolk hufband- 

 men to increafe the quantity of arable land; 

 for I am of opinion, that there is fcarcely an 

 acre of land in the county which is not worth 

 more under the Norfolk fyflem of aration than 

 it would be in any other flare ; except the Mea- 

 dows, the Marshes, and the Fens ; which I 

 am equally clear in opinion ought to be im- 

 proved as grafsland, or as fources of turf, 

 reed, ozicrs, fedge, or other aquatic and palu- 

 llreap produdions ; and ought not, under apy 

 X 4 pretence 



