Agriculture of Norfolk. 
339 
so much improved by manure afford ample proof that the good 
preceding crop of potatoes has taken something out of the soil ; 
but, that the system on the whole is not impoverishing to it is 
amply shown by the abundance of the wheat crops. If those I 
saw had any fault, it was that of too much straw. I will give my 
readers an opportunity of judging for themselves, by a sample of 
them taken from the middle of a field, where the men were reap- 
ing the corn. One "land," or "stetch," 8 yaids wide and 195 
yards long, had produced 296 sheaves, which measured on an 
average 2 feet 5 inches where they were tied (close by the band). 
This is at the rate of 76 shocks per acre, with 12 sheaves in a 
shock. It is necessary to state, that this system is accompanied 
by box-feeding cattle with turnips, baked potatoes, bean-meal, 
and oil-cake in abundance : also, that the liquid manure, which 
would otherwise be wasted, is preserved in tanks ; in short, nearly 
all the best practices of first-rate farmers are brought to its aid. 
Beans. 
There are more beans grown in Norfolk than many persons 
would suppose; as, in some districts of it, part of the land is sown 
with beans in lieu of, and to defer, the clover crop ; and those I 
saw of the harvest of 1843 were extremely good crops, with 
scarcely any exception. Nearly all of them are in rows, either 
drilled or dibbled (but most commonly drilled), so as to allow the 
frequent use of the horse-hoe. I have already given some of the 
details of managing this crop, when forming a part of a peculiar 
course, therefore I will here only state the plan of growing beans 
as adopted by Mr. Neave, of Downham Grove, near Wymond- 
ham, one of the most intelligent practical farmers of the county. 
The rows are 14 inches apart; the beans put in singly, 4 inches 
from each other. The quantity thus used for seed about 2^ 
bushels per acre. As soon as the beans have grown, so as to be 
out of the ground, the land is harrowed, and, on a dry day, 
rolled. The land is horse-hoed as often as possible, and once 
hand-hoed. The growing beans are rolled, when about 3 or 4 
inches long. 
Tares. 
I find some of the most intelligent practical cultivators of land 
have recently adopted the plan of sowing tares in their new 
layers, especially where the clover is not well set, or where it is 
not likely to be a productive crop, alone, from the nature of the 
soil or other causes. This is done by drilling the seed in, imme- 
diately after harvest, at the rate of 1 to 2 bushels per acre ; the 
drill-coulters being very sharp and narrow, so as to run along 
betwixt the drills of barley-stubble, without doing any material 
VOL. v. "2 a 
