270 CHICORY. 



might exhaust the land, and therefore sowed this piece 

 for a trial : the result has satisfied him that all apprehen- 

 sion of the kind was ill founded, and he intends substi- 

 tuting it for ray-grass. 



Observation. — I have cultivated this grass on a large 

 scale for many years, and have found it of great use. It 

 is a most valuable plant when kept close fed. 



CHICORY. 



Through all the southern distri6i: of West Norfolk, 

 in which are great tracls of poor sand, the layers 

 quite contemptible, I was petrified to see spontaneous 

 plants of luxuriant chicorv, pointing out what nature is 

 ready to perform, were she assisted by adapting the plants 

 to the soil. Here are thousands of acres which would, 

 without other expense than that of a few shillings per acre 

 in seed, be doubled and trebled in value ; and were such 

 layer fed by sheep, without folding from it, the succeeding 

 crops of corn would be as superior to the present pro- 

 duCls, as the number of sheep kept would exceed the 

 present stock. If such lands are so open, that folding is 

 really necessary, let it be where the fiock is fed on the 

 layer, and this would open the farmers' eyes to the vast 

 importance of changing their grasses. The common mel- 

 lilot isianotlier plant luxuriantly indigenous on the same 

 poor soils ■■, yields seed plentifully, is much affedled by 

 sheep, and would work great improvements, though not 

 equal to chicory : but nobody makes the trial of either, 

 though I have incessantly, for twelve years, been urging 

 the farming world, m the j^mials cf Agriculture, to open 

 their fves to the value of these and other native plants^ 

 far exceeding that exhausting one ot ray-grass. 



Crossed a large field of turnips, of Mr. Twist, at 

 Bretenham ; a miserably poor crop, with spontaneous 

 plants of chicory, seeded, three feet high, and, had it been 

 cut at the proper ages, would have out-weighed any of 



the 



