On the Farming of Suffolk. 307 



and well-earned fame that has ever attached to his habits of industry, 

 perseverance, and foresight, his first object amidst his inquiries beini^ to 

 induce farmers to lay aside their deep-rooted prejudices, and thus, as 

 he has often expressed it to me, ' to make the farmers think for them- 

 selves;' and that he accomplished this to a great extent the improve- 

 ments that have gone on progressively since his time are indisputable 

 evidence ; but to make any deductions as to the exact measure of such 

 a result could be effected only by collecting the statistics of corn and 

 cattle annually produced in our county now as compared with what 

 it was in the last century, and the comparative cost of such production. 

 This, however, is not an easy task ; but a fair test might be taken from 

 the advance of rents, which, of course, must be some index, as they 

 can only be raised by an increase of production at a diminution of 

 expense. This, therefore, would give a result of 100 per cent, upon 

 the average of this county. 



" If, however, we take our data on the above head by the systems 

 pursued by the present race of farmers in the details of management, it 

 would lead us into a wide field — too wide, I fear, for the object of your 

 inquiry. There is, however, one subject which I think demands our 

 especial remark, which is the greater care and improved management of 

 manures, not only by enlarging the quantity by the increase of stall- 

 feeding cattle and various other plans, but in the better application of 

 it when obtained. 



" We have also a fresh stimulus in draining, and in the more fre- 

 quent use of clay, chalk, &c., as top-dressing on soils to which they are 

 adapted ; but they are to be mentioned rather as a continuation of 

 systems adopted formerly than of modern introduction. 



" Then we have also great improvements made in the introduction of 

 new roots for general purposes, and amongst them we may rank the 

 Belgian carrot. Then also of seeds, grasses, &c. ; and in this class we 

 must not omit to notice the greatly increased production from the 

 growth of Italian rye-grass {Loliuvfi ItaliciiTn) ^ under which head one 

 of the most intelligent agriculturists in the county of Nottingham, Mr. 

 Parkinson, says by the introduction of Italian rye-grass he doubled 

 the quantity of cattle on the same occupation, both in rearing and 

 summer fatting. 



" To enumerate all the improvements and aids given to our pursuit 

 by the science and perseverance of the justly renowned machine-makers 

 of this county would be a work of supererogation, for the names of 

 Ransome, Garrett, Smith, &c., are already too well known to need any 

 comment. It would, however, be only giving a just tribute to the long 

 established fame of the Leiston Iron Works if we were to acknowledge 

 the debt which our county owes to its firm for having brought to an un- 

 rivalled perfection its drills, its horse-hoes, and more especially its 

 threshing-machines, as their prizes will amply testify, not only at the 

 meetings of our National Society, but throughout the provinces." 



In addition to the mportant improvements alluded to by Mr. 

 Rodwell we may mention the superior cultivation of mangold- 

 wurzel (this root is not mentioned in the report of Arthur Youn^, 



