316 



On the Farming of Suffolk. 



heaps, as at c." The peat varies in depth from 2 to 8 feet; 

 the cost for digging and throwing out is about 3f/. or 4fZ. per hole; 

 or if the peat is very deep, from Q)d. to ^d. ; the cost of spreading 

 \Qd. per score holes. 



To complete the process of filling up the trench, a deep furrow 

 is ploughed in on each side, the horses going at length. After 

 the land has been ploughed once or twice across the trenches it 

 becomes perfectly level. 



Fen land works much better after being clayed, as the soil docs 

 not adhere to the plough. The land should be clean before it 

 is clayed, as that operation is more difficult to perform afterwards; 

 besides, the more the land is stirred the more rapidly will the clay 

 sink into the subsoil. 



The following is a list of the number of loads dug and spread 

 by this method on Mr. Witt's fen farm since 1841 : — 



Fields. 



Loads. 



Per Acre. 



Total Cost. 



13 acres 



3,372 



£2 



12 



9 



£34 



6 0 



11 „ ... 



3,430 



3 



12 



0 



50 



8 2i 



15 „ ... 



3,990 



2 



15 



1^ 



41 



6 ^ 



11 „ ... 



3,082 



2 



6 



lOi 



25 



13 8 



6 & 11 . . . 



480 









4 



4 9 



21 „ ... 



7,622 



3 



18* 



9 



81 



14 2 



10 „ ... 



2,962 



2 



6 



2 



23 



1 8 



8 „ ... 



2,198 



2 



0 



0 



16 



0 6A 





200 









1 



9 8^ 



4 „ ... 



1,200 



2 



9 



6 



9 



17 6 





6,718 



2 



16 



10 



62 



9 5J 





256 









2 



8 0 



G „ ... 



970 



1 



*5 



4 



8 



12 4.1 





134 









0 



16 9 



1| „ ... 



370 



0 



1*6 



0 



4 



0 0 



10 „ ... 



3,172 1 



4 



0 



0 



40 



0 0 



Hills carried a\vay 



5,140 J 







4 „ bank (strip) 



1,286 



2 



10 



0 



10 



0 0 



17 „ wash . 



4,452 



2 



10 



0 



42 



10 0 



3 „ ... 



764 









6 



7 4 



183 0 13 



51,798 





£463 



6 9| 



This averages 283 loads per acre, at a cost of 21. lOs. Id. per 

 acre. 



Crag. — A sandy mixture ; calcareous from the quantity of 

 shells it contains, — found in most of the parishes extending from 

 Dunwich to the Orwell ; it has been used as a manure to a consi- 

 derable extent. 



According to Kirby," Mr. E. Edwards, a farmer of Leving- 

 ton, in 1718, accidentally discovered the use of this crag or shell. 

 Being short of dung, he carried several loads of cra.2:, and spread 

 it over a part of a field, which to his surprise yielded a much 



