DRILL HUSBANDRY. 353 



barley, will reduce the saving of the earth to something 

 not very considerable on these soils. 



The seeds of two years are once ploughed very care- 

 fully for drilling wheat, and this operation is trusted only 

 to the best ploughman on the farm ; that the furrows may 

 be so evenly and neatly lapped together, as to enable the 

 drill to be safely used longitudinally, which is Mr. Coke's 

 and Mr. Overman's pradtice both for wheat and barley. 

 The wheat is hand-hoed twice, in March and April, at 

 the expense of 4s. an acre ; the barley not at all. The 

 wheat is at nine inches, the barley at six and three 

 quarters. 



Several gentlemen present at the sheep-shearing atHolk- 

 ham were of opinion, that in the distri6l of that seat, ex- 

 tending one way to Hunstanton, another to Svvafham, and 

 East to Holt, 15 acres in 20 of all the corn sown, were 

 this year put in by the drill. 



In 1792 Mr. Bevan had made some experiments with 

 Cook's drill, with Ducket's, and with the drill- roller, 

 and at that time much preferred the last. 



1802. From 1792 to this time he has had no drilling ; 

 but this year began again. 



Mr. Bevak, in 1800, had six acres of wheat drilled 

 at nine inches, in the middle of 50 acres; 44 put in wicli 

 the Norfolk drill-roller. Those six acres were mildewed, 

 and the 44 quite bright. The drilled appeared also very 

 inferior in every respecft. Mr. Day, the bailiff's expres- 

 sion was, the bread cast zvill beat out and out. 



In discourse with Mr. 'Bevan, in 1802, after viewing 

 tljc very fine and clean crops at Holkham, he said that he 

 had for some years been in doubt upon the question ; 

 he had tried it several times, but the result was not fa- 

 vourable : but this year having been desired by Mr. CoKE 

 to give it another trial, he had done it, and the barley 

 NORFOLK.] A a drilled 



