350 
Agriculture of Norfolk. 
benefit the land, kno^Wng, that the richer food they give to cattle, 
the richer will their land become. The conversion of arable land 
into pasture, by transplanting, is peculiarly interesting, having 
been first done by Mr. Blomfield, of Warham, in this county, 
and since Mr. \oung's report. The plan described by Mr. Blakie 
is yet followed by many. I saw it in nearly all stages of the 
work. 
Several farmers have recently adopted, what they consider to be, 
an improvement on the former mode. It is this : — 
They do not mark the land with scarifiers, but spread the frag- 
ments of turf in the same manner as manure ; after which, it is 
rolled with a heavy iron roller, some small seeds being sown on 
the land in the spring. They state that this plan answers equally 
well (as the turf will grow either side up), and it saves nearly half 
the cost of transplanting. One gentleman states, that he had 
6 acres done in this manner, and the cost in labour was only about 
1/. per acre. 
Alteration in the Breed of Sheep. 
Alluding to Old Norfolk sheep, Mr. Kent says (p. 103) — 
" The Norfolk farmers will never be able to substitute any other 
sheep that will answer penning so well:" but on the next page he 
adds — " When land becomes much improved, stock may be 
improved in proportion ; and in some instances the breed may 
undoubtedly be crossed with propriety." Now, I find that a most 
remarkable change has taken place on this very principle named 
by Mr. Kent; — his favourite "Old Norfolk sheep" are "almost 
totally superseded in the county. Although described as favourites 
in Smithfield at that time, there are now seldom any to be seen 
there. On two occasions the different breeds of cattle and sheep 
were counted for me, especially, by the Clerk of Smithfield Market ; 
and there happened not to be one of the old and horned breed of 
Norfolk sheep there, on either of those days. I had previously 
looked for them there in vain ; when it struck me, that it would be 
not only very interesting, but very useful, to know how many of 
each breed of animals had been shown at that great mart at any 
bvgone period. This would, by showing the changes produced by 
time and circumstances, enable a person the better to judge what 
might be suitable in his own situation. With this view I had the 
stock counted by Mr. Shank, and on his authority I subjoin the 
following return. From the task being new, he had great diffi- 
culty in making out the statement I wanted, viz. — not only how 
many there were of each breed, but how many of each breed 
from several of the most important counties : — 
