298 



On the Farming of Suffolk. 



practice of sowing broadcast, the plan of drilling small seeds with 

 a light one-horse drill has been adopted : — This is not done till 

 after the corn has come up, sometimes it is even 4 or 5 inches 

 high ; the drill is followed by a light gang of harrows, which 

 complete the operation by covering in the seed after the drill. 

 The land is drilled and harrowed across the rows of corn, the 

 distance between the seed-coulters 4J inches. Independently 

 of securing a good plant, the benefit derived from the destruction 

 of weeds, the loosening the soil, and breaking the surface-crust 

 amply repays the extra expense. The harrowing may appear to 

 be injurious by pulling up a few blades of corn ; but the benefit 

 to the crop is visible a few days after. On very poor land the 

 seeds, trefoil and rye-grass, are allowed to remain two years, and ^ 

 sainfoin sometimes for four years ; the latter is perhaps one of the 

 best crops that can be grown on the light soils, and by laying the 

 land down for four years it makes no break in the rotation. As a 

 substitute for clover sainfoin is sometimes sown, and the following 

 year ploughed up for wheat : it is generally believed that the 

 2nd and 3rd years' sainfoin is much better than the 1st, but very 

 abundant crops of hay are produced by letting it lie one year, 

 and it is a good preparation for wheat. However, on land of 

 inferior quality, sainfoin is undoubtedly more profitable if allowed 

 to remain four years. Sainfoin should be mown the first year, 

 and then fed with lambs, for if fed with sheep they injure the 

 plant by biting off the crown. 



The layers are chiefly fed off with sheep, though a portion is 

 mown for hay, and a portion is also occasionally seeded. 



On the very poor soils the sheep have the whole field to feed 

 upon at once, but upon soils of a better description the layers 

 are frequently hurdled off with fatting sheep early in the season, 

 oil -cake, corn, and mangel-wurzel being given in addition to the 

 clover or grass. Sheep are regularly night-folded on the layers 

 through the summer and autumn ; upon the inferior soils folding 

 is the principal preparation for wheat. 



Management of Sainfoin for Seed. — Land rolled in the spring, 

 and the stones picked the same as for a hay-crop. The seed-crop 

 is usually fit to cut about the beginning of July, but the time 

 varies with the season ; this as well as all other seed-crops of the 

 same species of plant is best cut either early in the morning or 

 late in the evening, as the seed is much more liable to brush off 

 the stalk during the heat of the day than during the cool and 

 dampness of the mornings and evenings. The mowers will rest 

 during the worst time for hard labour. Two or three days after 

 cutting, the seed may be turned, and, should it continue fine 

 weather, the crop will be fit to cart in six or seven days. In un- 

 favourable weather the swaths will of course require lifting and 



