Oil tlie Farming of Suffolk. 



285 



under one head : this may be objected to, but the prescribed 

 limits of this report will not allow of any other arrangement. 

 The management, in some respects, may be different, but, where 

 any difference occurs, it will be mentioned. Many of the light- 

 land farms on the eastern side of the county are of so varied a 

 character of soil as to require distinct systems of management, 

 and may be said to partake both of Hght and heavy land farming. 

 It would, therefore, require a considerable space to give all the 

 details, and this must be my apology if I have omitted any im- 

 portant features. Beet-root is grown largely on the eastern side 

 of the county on good soils, and has perhaps in some measure 

 superseded the cultivation of carrots, for which the light land was 

 celebrated in the time of A. Young. The proximity of the sea, 

 combined with dry and warm summers, no doubt render this 

 district favourable to the growth of that root. 



The whole of this district is (with very little variation) farmed 

 on the four-course system : — 



1st year — Fallow, swedes, white turnips, carrots, or mangold- 

 wurzel. 



2nd year — Barley. 



3rd \ ear — Seeds. 



4th year — Wheat. 



On the very light sands swedes and mangold are not grown, 

 and rye is grown as a corn- crop; but the latter is not so much 

 cultivated as it used to be. Oats are occasionally grown instead 

 of barley and wheat. 



1st year, Falloic. — On most of the farms in this district a 

 breeding-flock is kept, and in order to supply food for the ewes 

 and lambs in the spring, in the interval that elapses after the 

 turnips are consumed, and before the layers are sufficiently ad- 

 vanced for feedings a portion of the fallow is set apart for the 

 growth of rye for feeding off, to be followed by white turnips. As 

 soon as possible after harvest, a portion of the wheat-stubble is 

 ploughed up. The cleanest stubble is generally selected for this 

 crop, though on some farms the practice is to take rye for feeding 

 alternately on the several fields of the shift ; one ploughing is 

 given, and the seed drilled or sown broadcast (if drilled, the 

 coulters of the drill are as close as possible), at the rate of from 3 

 to 3J bushels per acre ; the quantity of seed may appear greats 

 but it is generally considered that rye for feeding cannot be sown 

 too thickly. A few tares or rape-seed are sometimes sown with 

 the rye ; this thickens the bottom of the feed. Within the last 

 few years an early variety has been introduced, for the purpose of 

 feeding off in the spring ; it is called the giant or Tyrolese rye, 

 and it has the great advantage of coming a week or ten days earlier 

 than the common rye^ though some farmers do not cousid^T the 



