Agriculture oj' Norfolk . 
327 
Drilled, with from 3 to 3^ bushels of barley per acre, according to the state of the 
land. Rows 7 inches apart. Mr. H. sows none but Chevalier barley. It is 
harrowed in witli light harrows (three for two horses). Sows clover and other 
small seeds with a horse-mactiine, that it may be more equally spread over the 
land than is possible by hand, especially in windy weather.* Mr. Nurse, junior, 
states that sainfoin has been sown by many first-rate agriculturists for one year 
only ; the wheat is much better after it (scarcely a case known wliere wheat has 
failed after it) ; a friend of his has grown it thus, many years, and intends this year 
to lay down fifty acres with it, for one year only ; he had the same quantity last year, 
and grew three good loads per acre of hay ; the after-grass was a foot and a half 
high ; upon this he turned his lambs, and they became the best in the neighbourhood. 
Some say, plough in the " eddish" for wheat ; he thinks it better to buy other 
manure, as the value of the crop for sheep-feed is more than equal to that cost. 
As in Norfolk generally, Mr. Hudson's seeds are varied in each course, so as to have 
red clover only once in eight years, thus : first course — IG lbs. of red clover, 4 lbs. 
of white, and half a peck of rye-gi-ass, per acre; second course — 12 lbs. of trefoil, 
8 lbs. of white clover, and a peck of rye-grass, per acre. This last is intended for 
feeding on the land. The clover (in the first course) is for mowing once, and 
afterwards to be fed by sheep. Seeds covered by light harrows, and the lai d 
rolled, to make it level. Barley is weeded for 5d. per acre. In preparing for 
barley, Mr. Browu of Thrigby always keeps from the land in wet weather ; sows, a 
few days after the barley, small seeds with machinery, covering them with very 
light harrows. Mr. Blyth (S. F.) says, " The turnip-land is generally ploughed 
twice towards the end of the season, scarified once or twice, and then once ploughed ; 
drilled about six inches, beginning about the 25th of March, and sowing three 
bushels per acre." Mr. Coulson, " When the turnips are fed oS early in winter 
first skeleton ploughs (by taking off the plough-breast), then harrowing in spring, 
and ploughing clean. Where later fed, ploughing once, and harrowing ; drilling 
at 7 inches, from two and a half to three bushels." 
The barley is mowed by a set of harvest-men, paid for the harvest, not by the 
week ; therefore they receive the same, whether it is of long or short duration. 
After two or three days, turned with a hay-fork or fork-shaft. Last harvest 
Mr. Hudson sheafed part of his barley /or the first time ; therefore the old method 
of treating it will here be described. When dry enough for carting, it is gathered 
six swathes in a double row, thus : — 
>]} ' (D 
* I could not find that the plan of drilling clover-seed in rows had been tried in 
Norfolk. A gentleman of great experience in Lincolnshire recommends it on the 
following grounds : — 
1st. " That one-fourth of the seed is saved." 
2nd. " That, by all the seed being deposited at an equal depth, the plants retain 
a much firmer root in the soil during the winter." 
3rd. " That the grass-seeds may be drilled across the rows of barley some time 
after the corn is up, and not only be better covered by the soil than they would be 
if no coulters were used, but the barley itself may be improved, at the same time, by 
this slight breaking of the surface soil." 
In addition to the saving of seed, as before named, this gentleman's clover was 
better last spring than he ever had it before, and he believes that, if the following 
season had beeu an average one, his seeds would have carried at least one-third 
more stock than usual. This improvement he attributed solely to the drilling. 
The drill he uses for this purpose is feet wide, having twenty-four coulters, and 
resembling a corn-drill, except that it is much lighter. It is drawn by one horse. 
Knowing the high estimation in wliich this plan is held by some farmers in Lin- 
colnshire and Yorkshire, I take this opportunity of alluding to it as a general answer 
to those of my Norfolk friends who made inquiries respecting it. 
