288 



On the Farming of Suffolk. 



Another system of fallowing is adopted by many, namely, that 

 of ribbling this is done by turning a furrow to the unploughed 

 land, and, in returning, to turn over this furrow and the earth upon 

 which the first furrow was laid, so that the land lies in ridges dur- 

 ing the winter months, and is thus exposed to the full action of the 

 weather. In the spring these are harrowed and scarified across, 

 and then ploughed. 



Others merely plough the stubble in, and then let the land lie 

 through the winter, when the furrows are turned back, bringing 

 the couch grass, if any, to the surface ; instead of turning back 

 the furrows, some adopt the plan of ''ribbling," in the spring, 

 across the first ploughing, and by this means bring the couch to 

 the surface; the land is then cleaned with the harrows and scari- 

 fier in the usual manner. 



The custom of ploughing in the stubble is the old-fashioned 

 method, which many still consider the best, and give the following 

 reasons for their opinion : the stubble, and all rubbish in the shape 

 of weeds except couch, will rot during the winter ; and not only 

 spare the trouble of getting together and carting them off the land, 

 but will tend to increase the fertility of the soil. This is the opi- 

 nion of some : and undoubtedly it is good management when the 

 land is perfectly free from couch, and other creeping-rooted weeds : 

 but where an opportunity occurs of cleaning foul land in autumn, 

 it must be wrong to defer doing so till the busy time of spring. 

 How often it happens that the soil during the months of September 

 and October is in a better state for cleaning operations than at any 

 other period between that time and turnip-sowing. 



The following description of the preparation of the land for 

 roots applies to a particular farm, though the system in some de- 

 gree resembles that practised by the neighbouring farmers. The 

 land on this farm is a sandy loam, in some parts inclining to brick 

 earth. The practice of ridging is adopted on the stiffest land, and 

 also that of subsoiling. In these respects the management differs 

 from that practised on the very light sands, where the turnips are 

 drilled on the flat ; though where the land partakes at all of a 

 clayey or loamy nature, the ridge system is generally adopted for 

 swedes and mangel. 



Preparatory to ridging or ploughing in the manure, the land 

 is brought into as pulverized a state as possible ; this being consi- 

 dered indispensably necessary for the success both of ridge and 

 flat cultivation. No regular system of preparation is adopted ; as 

 this, of course, depends upon the weather, and on other circum- 

 stances requiring the exercise of proper judgment as to the course 

 to be pursued. But one maxim is adopted : that of cleaning the 

 land from couch and other weeds in the autumn, when possible ; 

 and to aid in accomplishing this end the practice of mowing wheat 



