280 



On the Farming of Suffolk. 



before Christmas; the land then lies till February or March, 

 when it is scarified or well harrowed and the seed drilled at about 

 6 inches, with from 10 to 12 pecks per acre : a set of light har- 

 rows follow to cover the seed. The varieties usually grown are 

 the long-ear Nottingham, and the Chevalier. This last was in- 

 troduced by the late Dr. Chevalier, of A spall, in this county ; 

 it is the finest, though not the hardiest or most productive kind 

 of barley ^rown. A full account of the origin of this variety is 

 given by Dr. Chevalier, in the Journal, vol. i. p. 11. 



Land, for barley after roots, is ploughed as soon as the roots 

 are off; across the ridges if ridged, some plough twice, giving a 

 shallow ploughing first, and then a deep one ; this is of advantage, 

 as it brings the land level, and mixes the manure that had been 

 applied to the root crop. The leaves of beet are ploughed in, 

 and found to be productive of much benefit. 



An improvement has of late years been brought into practice in 

 some parts of the county, that of sowing about a peck of white 

 mustard per acre on the long fallows in August or early in Sep- 

 tember, and ploughing in the herbage about 6 or 8 weeks from 

 the time of sowing. To assist in covering it in, several methods 

 are employed : the roller is used before ploughing, a chain is fixed 

 to the plough, or, what is perhaps the most effectual plan, having 

 boys to put it in the furrows after the plough ; the effect on the 

 barley crop is considered by practical farmers to equal half a 

 coat of muck, obtained at a cost of 2s. 6d. for seed, and the addi- 

 tional trouble of sowing and harrowing in the seed. White 

 mustard is sometimes sown for feeding, and it has also been sown 

 after peas for ploughing in as a manure for wheat. Mr. Kemball, 

 junior, of Buxhall, tested this practice by leaving a portion of 

 land unsown : he states that the difference of the crop was visible 

 to the eye at a considerable distance from the field ; at harvest, 

 the wheat where the mustard had been ploughed in was 6 inches 

 the highest, and ripened 10 days sooner than the wheat on ad- 

 joining stetches where no mustard had been sown ; this was on 

 a clayey loam. Barley is horse-hoed by some farmers ; this is of 

 advantage, particularly where the system of late sowing clover 

 seed is adopted ; some consider that the land must be in a bad 

 state if barley requires horse-hoeing, and are therefore content 

 with hand-weeding. 



On an average, 1 peck of clover-seed is sown broadcast by hand, 

 or with the machine directly after the harrows which follow the 

 barley drill : the land then receives another light harrowing. 

 Another manner of sowing seeds, which is useful when the barley 

 crop is sown so early that it is likely to be injured by the clover, 

 is that of horse or hand hoeing the barley, and then sowing the 

 seeds broadcast and harrowing in. 



