Farviing of Cambridgeshire. 
61 
On the chalky soils of this county large breadths of sainfoin 
are grown, and a most valuable article it is: it will yield a good 
crop of hay for wintering horses, and for cutting into chaff for 
sheep ; and the rowen is most valuable for lambs. It is a general 
rule not to feed it down too close with sheep, as it injures the 
next year's crop. It is sown with the barley in the spring, drilled 
in with 4 bushels of seed per acre. Many farmers lay down the 
poorest portion of the farm with this useful plant; but I consider 
nothing would pay better than getting such land into good order 
and good heart, before laying down with sainfoin : nor can such 
land be got too clean, as it is apt to get covered with fiorin-grass 
after lying a few years. It will not stand more than nine years, 
and a practice is now much gaining ground of feeding and folding 
it close the last vear with sheep, and ploughing it up and sowing 
it with wheat. This plan has been very successful. 
A new variety of sainfoin has lately been introduced in some 
parts of this county, and has been exceedingly well spoken of; it 
is called the gigantic sainfoin. The seed has been selling as high 
as four guineas per bushel ; it grows with a broader leaf, is much 
earlier, and cuts a heavy crop. 
A plan has of late been most highly commended by all who 
have tried it, and the practice has also much extended. They 
sow sainfoin in the regular course of the four-course system, 
instead of seeds, for one year s layer only, to be mown for hay 
and fed close with sheep, then ploughed up for wheat the next 
year, with the rest of the regular seed-shift. This plan was first 
introduced into this county in the neighbourhood of Mildenhall. 
The difficulty of getting a plant of seeds, from the land becoming 
clover-sick, led to an experiment of this kind with sainfoin, and 
its having been attended with great success has led many others 
to follow the plan. It is stated, by those who have tried it, that 
they not only get a fair crop of hay, and good after-feed for sheep, 
but that wheat is sure to succeed well after it, of which I have 
no doubt. But I cannot say I feel much inclined to adopt the 
system : I endeavour to prevent my lands from becoming clover- 
sick, by not sowing mixed seeds, having one portion red clover, 
another white clover, another trefoil, and the remainder peas 
or tares mown for hay, fed off or seeded ; and after the peas 
and tares, take oats instead of wheat. It appears to me, that 
after getting a good plant of sainfoin, to plough it up the first 
year must be attended with a loss ; for after having been at the 
expense to seed your land, we know that the second, third, fourth, 
and fifth years will each nearly, if not quite, double the quantity of 
hay that was produced the first year, and this without any further 
expense except rent, tithe, and rates, and the cost of mowing, 
making, and carrying. I would, therefore, much prefer letting 
