Agriculture of Norfolk. 
323 
necessary to state the number used in any other ploughing herein 
described. 
Mr. Hudson objects to cross-pk)ughing each time, because it 
cuts the land into diamonds and renders it unlevel ; he, therefore, 
always ploughs it twice in succession m the same direction, that 
is, if he has turned it out from a furrow, he turns it in the next 
time. In districts where fallows are ploughed in very wide pieces 
this objection to cross-ploughing each time does not apply so 
strongly ; but, as Mr. Hudson's are only 20 yards wide, it is in 
his case well founded. 
Ploughing the same depth as before, and in the same direction or otherwise, as 
may be " consistent with the above rule. This may probably be done in February 
if the first ploughing was performed early ; but that ploughed for the first time in 
December will not be ready before tlie end of March or beginning of April. 
Scarifying with Blakie's grubber or Biddle's scarifier. 
He considers some scarifiers* to be good harrows but bad 
ploughs, and therefore ploughs oftener than some of his neigh- 
bours. 
Well harrowing with heavy harrows (two drawn by three horses). Ditto, oc- 
casionally afterwards, to destroy the annual weeds, &c. — ■ — Rolled as occasion may 
require. Any rubbish which the land contains may now be supposed to have 
come to the surface, and is picked off by hand for 6d. per acre : it formerly cost 20s. 
A " clean earth," (the third ploughing,) called the "stirring earth." Har- 
rowed with the three-horse harrows, followed by the light ones as before, and rolled 
if necessary. This supposed to be about the end of April or beginning of May. 
Mr. Hudson prefers ridging to flat work on such soil as that at Castle Acre. He 
thinks the land more cei-tain of bearing a crop if ploughed about ten days before 
sowing, in doing which, his aim is to leave the soil light, and as finely pulverized 
as possible.! 
The land is marked for ridging by an implement for the purpose, drawn by one 
horse, the markers being somewhat similar to the coulters of a drill. It 
makes five marks at a time, the rows 27 inches apart, and one of the coulters [1 
returning on the mark last made by itself, whilst the others go on fresh I 
ground. The land being thus all marked for ridging, that operation may I 
be commenced at any part of the field. Two of Ransome's, or similar double- I 
breasted Northumberland ploughs, will set out 8 acres per day. The land 
being measured, so as to know exactly how many ridges make an acre, tum- 
brils with muck immediately follow the ridging-ploughs, each load being made I 
to go tlie whole length ; so that they take any number of rows, according 
to the length of them, &c. Two men unload ; one in the cart with a fork, JL^ 
the other behind it with a crome 
* During the last spring and summer I have used Biddle's improved scarifiers 
to great advantage, and certainly saved a ploughing by using them for barley, as 
well as for turnips. — J. Hudson. 
t The strong land on Mr. Overman's farm at Weasenham is thus prepared for 
turnips : in November, ploughed deeply, the ploughs having " s/iort plats" (or 
mould-boards), that the land may be more exposed to frost ; in the spring, scarified 
with Biddle's scarifier, and afterwards ploughed and drilled ; being generally sown 
the last week in May or the first in June. — Mr. Overman has this land in 12-furrow, 
or 3 yards, " stetches" (and there are few good farmers in the county who have 
wet land in much wider pieces, or " stetches," than four yards). He is of opinion 
that the less such land is ploughed the better, so long as it is kept clean. 
VOL. V. Z 
this last is 
