Agriculture of Norfolk. 
337 
found the succeeding^ crop worse for them. If the manuring or 
the weeding is evaded, because it is an oat crop, the after poverty 
is to be attributed to the farmer, and not to the grain. I know 
a small farmer who has invariably grown oats instead of wheat 
for many years, because he could make more money by them." 
Mr. James Everitt, of North Creake, sows part of his seeds 
(or what with most others would be their wheat shift) with oats, 
of which he grows good crops. He selects the lightest of his 
land for them, as being least suitable for wheat, and thus the crop 
is more valuable than it otherwise would be from such soil. Mr. 
Everitt's oat crops have been increased about 16 bushels per acre 
by dressing the land with nitrate of soda, at the rate of about 
1 cwt. per acre, but always with this result, that the oats are 
lighter by nearly 3 lbs. per bushel. It is necessary to observe, 
that he always sows Tartarian oats, which, however suitable for 
land not in high condition, might here probably be superseded 
with advantage, inasmuch as I have seen abundant proofs that, 
by sowing a species which grows heavier grain, you may counter- 
act the tendency to too much straw, and produce by this means a 
greater quantity of corn per acre, as well as of better quality. 
The same principle applies to corn as to stock, viz., that what 
is peculiarly adapted to soil in a certain state will not be equally 
so when its state is changed. Nearly all persons will admit the 
truth of this, when they see it on paper, but many are too apt to 
forget it in practice. 
I do not mean to advocate the sowing of oats where there is. a 
probability of obtaining another more valuable crop, as it would 
be the extreme of folly to do so. But when we consider how 
important it is to vary the crops as much as possible, in order 
that each may profit by the longer interval, and how science, 
theory, and practice agree and confirm each other on this point, — 
that land may be in some degree exhausted of its capabilities of 
growing one species of grain, yet, provided it is in a clean state, 
may at once produce a comparatively good crop of another v^hich 
is opposite in nature, and requiring a different nourishment, — so 
it surely is desirable to remove anything like prejudice against a 
particular grain, and thus afford to all a greater choice and means 
of change, according as they deem it advisable, after fairly weigh- 
ing, not only the general principles, but the peculiar circumstances 
of their own case. 
It is right to observe, that all the light-land farmers, who spoke 
most favourably of oats, seem to have grown them on farms where 
the subsoil was generally chalk. I am inclined to think that 
sand is not so suitable, but I could not procure any evidence to 
establish this. Indeed, the only reason given why this crop had 
