Agriculture of Norfolk. 
353 
Quantity of Seed. — Certain opinions have recently been much 
circulated, in Norfolk and elsewhere, in favour of, and recommending, 
a great and general reduction in the quantity of seed per acre to be 
applied. 
Before I alluded to this, one of the best practical farmers of Norfolk 
remarked, voluntarily, — "that he thought those new doctrines more cal- 
culated to do great and extensive mischief (not only to the growers, but 
to the consumers of corn), than any other theory he ever remembered to 
have been broached." 
This gentleman's name is not given in any part of my Report, but 
many of his practices are described, and some of his crops alluded to, as 
he is considered by all who know him to be a very good authority on 
agricultural matters generally. 
In proof, that he is not one of those said to be bigoted in favour of 
old opinions, I may state, that he adopted Scotch carts, cattle-boxes, and 
liquid-manure tanks several years ago. He tries many experiments ; 
but, as I am not allowed to give his name, I will insert the result of one 
series of experiments on this point, as tried by another gentleman in a 
different part of the county ; but think it right to state, in the first place, 
how the question stands. All admit, that there must be some particular 
quantity for each soil, and each particular situation of it, which in a cer- 
tain season, supposing all circumstances to be known beforehand, would 
be best for sowing in any given manner. All agree, that there must be 
some particular quantity, which on an average of seasons, and circum- 
stances of those seasons, would be the most profitable to apply in any 
particular manner, supposing the party bound to make choice of a cer- 
tain quantity for sowing each year ; that, if you improve the manner or 
method of sowing, or putting in the seed, you may thereby reduce what 
was before the necessary quantity ; and that, if you happen to sow more 
than the succeeding season proved to be necessary, you in that case 
might lose something by " thick sowing." But, if the whole system is 
to be characterized as folly, because some one, who was trained to agri- 
culture in a counting-house, says, that such extra quantity ought not to 
have been sown — surely his sphere of usefulness might be extended. Why 
should he not advise the farmers, and the public generally, not to insure 
their property from fire, because many find, at the end of every year, that 
the expense of insurance had been, somewhat like the extra seed-corn, 
proved unnecessary, except as a security from the chance of a loss 
infinitely greater ? All agree, that if the saving of a bushel per acre on 
the quantity of land sown in England could be effected with safety, whe- 
ther by improved modes of putting it in or otherwise, the saving on the 
whole would be great ; but all, with common sense, must see how very 
much greater the loss would be, if all or half the land happened to be 
sown with a bushel less per acre, than the season following proved to 
have been necessary. The result of this is fearful to contemplate ; and, 
if we consider the proportion which the seed bears to what in this case 
it might have produced, we need not be surprised at the strong opini(m 
expressed by the Norfolk farmer before alluded to. That such loss from 
sowing too little (and, still, more than the quantity some recommend) 
might occur, is proved by the following experiments ; in which it will be 
