76 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF NORWICH AND DISTRICT 
There is also a narrow strip of this alluvial arable land along the coast 
which grows excellent crops, especially in the neighbourhood of Heacham 
and Brancaster. It is, however, a very narrow strip, and might easily 
pass unnoticed by the cursory observer. 
Irrespective of the derelict land in the Breckland area, there are a 
number of uncultivated heaths in West Norfolk. It is a district of typical 
sheep and barley farms where in the right season, the best of England’s 
malting barleys are grown, and where four-course rotational farming was 
first practised on a large scale. The arable flock of Suffolk ewes is still 
an inseparable part of the farming. It is also, unfortunately, the part of 
Norfolk to suffer most in the present agricultural depression, and many 
financial failures, sometimes in families that have occupied the same 
farms for a century or more, have been experienced. It is not surprising, 
therefore, that a number of changes have taken place in the farming of 
this district during the past ten years. The wheat, roots, barley, hay 
sequence of the four-course rotation, however, is still adopted on many 
farms, the sheep being largely responsible for maintaining the condition 
of the arable land. ‘They consume the greater part of the root crop, some 
of the clover and ryegrass, and often special catch-crops of rye or oats 
and tares are grown specially for them. 
Early fat lamb production is usually attempted ; otherwise the sheep are 
sold at the many lamb sales held in the county, that at Swaffham being 
perhaps the most important in West Norfolk. Barley is the chief cereal, 
the land being rather too light for the best wheat crops, although the 
variety ‘ Little Joss’ does quite well on the lighter soils. Towards the 
coast the country becomes pleasantly undulating and it is there, notably in 
the Burnhams, where the finest malting barleys are grown. The winter 
fattening of cattle is important, but sheep compete for the roots and reduce 
the number of yard-fed bullocks it is possible to feed. Compared with 
East Norfolk straw yields are not high, and there is not the same necessity 
for the heavy head of winter cattle to ‘jam’ the straw. It is a common 
practice in Norfolk to cross the Suffolk ewes with Cotswold rams, and 
possibly, but for this practice, one of the breeds, the Cotswolds, might 
easily become extinct, since there is a good trade for Cotswold rams in 
Norfolk. The cross, however, is a big hardy sheep that withstands the 
East Coast winds and will consume large quantities of roots and can be 
fattened to heavier weights without becoming too fat. 
Almost frantic efforts, however, have been made in the past ten years 
to escape the almost inevitable losses of farming the West Norfolk gravels 
on the traditional four-course system. ‘They have taken three forms— 
two extensive and one intensive. First the ranch methods of the grassland 
sheep farmer, and later the power methods of the continuous corn grower 
were adopted to oppose the incompatability of fixed wages and falling 
corn and stock prices. Others have tried the more intensive methods of 
beet and vegetable cultivation, combined with milk production, and arable 
sheep, fed on beet and vegetable by-products. 
There are a number of mechanised farms in the district using Combine 
harvesters, driers, and in general imitating the methods of the prairie 
farmer. At Southacre in this district also is situated the only Lucerne 
