512 
Typical Farms in East Anglia. 
Mr. Ellis to alter bis system of farming to some extent. Up to a few years 
ago tbe four-course was closely adhered to, but now upon the lighter soils 
grass is left down for two, three, and even more years. 
On these new-laid fields a larger ewe flock is kept, and at the time of my 
visit the sheep were being folded over a field of good grass on land rented at 
about 12s. an acre. In laying down these lighter land fields to grass for 
several years every care is taken to have the land thoroughly clean. Having 
been well manured for roots, and a certain proportion of the roots eaten on 
the land with sheep, the seeds are drilled in with the barley after the land 
has been horse-hoed between the barley rows, sown 9 inches apart. 
The first year the seeds are mown, then eaten, and in the autumn 10 to 
12 loads of rotten dung are spread per acre, and experience has proved that 
such a covering of farm-yard manure insures a good thick sward of grass the 
following seasons. 
The average sales of sheep during the past five years amounted to 
4614?. 12$. 9c?. per annum. 
There are a few Shire mares kept, and by breeding strong good sorts, a 
certain number of seasoned horses are annually sold and younger ones 
taken into the working stock. 
Taken up to do half a day’s work when they are two and a half years 
old, they are, the following summer, allowed a run on the marshes and 
again taken up in the autumn to do their full share of the work on the farm. 
There was no waste land over this wide farm. At such places as had 
been stack foundations, or where mangel heaps had been laid, the land had 
been carefully worked and sown with some kind of crop. The crops were 
grown close to the fences, which were w r ell kept, although on the lighter 
lands they were purposely left high. 
10. The Farm o/Mk George Balt, Ilardingham, Hingham, Norfolk. 
This farm, close by Ilardingham Station, w r as one of the Society’s Prize 
Farms in 188G. It is from 110 to 120 feet above sea level. The soil is a 
loam inclining to clay, on a gravel and clay subsoil. 
Tbe owner is the Earl of Kimberley, the tenancy is an annual one, and 
the farm has been in the family for nearly 100 years. The ordinary Norfolk 
covenants apply, with compensation under the Agricultural Holdings Act. 
The farm is worked on the ordinary four-course of cropping, and accord- 
ing to the agreement all produce, hay and straw, must be consumed on the 
farm unless authority be given by the landlord for selling off. 
The rotation is given by the tenant as wheat, roots, barley, hay, 
as a rule, but sometimes barley is grown after wheat, sometimes barley after 
hay, and barley after barley when seeds fail. “ Oats are also sometimes 
grown after hay instead of wheat, and at the present time I have twenty- 
one acres growing after barley where seeds failed.” The following table 
gives particulars of expenditure, &c. : — 
Arable | Grass 
Rent Rates 
Labour, 
average of 2 
past years 
Artificial 
manures 
Cake, corn, 
&c. 
Labour 
per acre 
acres 1 acres 
170 30, all 
grazed 
£ s. d. £ s. d. 
2G5 0 0 16 18 6 
£ *. d. 
321 12 0 
£ .«. d. £ .<• d. 
82 0 0 387 0 0 
£ .i. d. 
1 9 6 
Whilst the arable land is carefully farmed and clean, with crops of all 
sorts looking well, the main business on the holding is the production and 
