312 



On the Farming of Suffolk. 



5. 77ie process of Marling and the Soils benefited therehij. 



The details of this very interesting and desirable practice in 

 the husbandry of Suffolk have been described by many writers, 

 among whom are the late Mr. Macro of Barrow, in the '^Annals 

 of Agriculture,' and ' The Letter of Mr. Josiah Rodwell of Liver- 

 mere to the Board of Agriculture/ in 1800, for which he was 

 awarded their Gold Medal. This letter is to be found in the 

 Report of their Proceedings, and in the ' Annals and Calendar ' 

 of Arthur Young. 



By the process of marling I believe is to be understood what we 

 in Suffolk denominate claying, and perhaps improperly so, for 

 there is very little clay applied to the land that does not contain 

 a large proportion of lime ; and the general test as to the good 

 quality of clay is the presence of small particles of chalk, or 

 chalk-stones as they are here termed. Notwithstanding this, I 

 have used the term claying, because it is so called in this count}^ 

 and in order that I may not be misunderstood: but it must not be 

 taken for granted that I mean real clay, but a mixture of clay and 

 chalk, which ought properly to be termed marl. 



The application of marl or clay may be said to be general both 

 on heavy and light land. On heavy it is used on freshly broken- 

 up pasture-land, and mixed with farm-yard manure in the forma- 

 tion of compost heaps. On light soils its application is of course 

 more extended, as it is here that the great benefits are derived by 

 the improvement in the mechanical texture of the soil. 



The scouring of ditches on the heavy soil is carted to form 

 bottoms for the farm-yard manure, with which it is mixed by 

 turning, &c. 



On freshly broken-up land, clay and other soil is carted on to 

 the amount of from 40 to 50 cubic yards per acre. The benefit 

 derived from this is the better quality of the grain, and regularity 

 of the crop. New land, whether it is naturally of an adhesive 

 and retentive nature, or dry and sandy, or light and loose peaty- 

 soil, is found to produce a patchy cr^op of a bad quality of grain, 

 which is corrected in a great measure by the application of marly 

 clay. The excess of organic matter in the heavy soil gives it a 

 looseness of texture which the clay corrects : the dry and loose 

 texture of the sand is rendered more adhesive and retentive of 

 moisture, and the peat is benefited by consolidation, and the 

 supply of inorganic matter. 



In first beginning to marl or clay a field, if no pits have 

 been begun beforehand, it is usual to ascertain where the best 

 material can be most conveniently raised for carting. This is 

 done by digging down to ascertain the subsoil, and frequently the 

 marly clay is found within a foot of the surface. The soil is now 



