Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-07-10

II 6riG aceount ofthe Norfolk Husband
ny, by q gentleman Of Norfolk.
GENTLEMEN,
In answer to your inquiries respecting
the Improvements in husbandry, made in
this county, be pleased to accept the fol
lowing account.
About sixty years since, great part
of this county was sheep walks, rented
only at about eighteen pence an acre;
and even within my memory many thou
sand acres were in this state, which now
are turned into the finest farms, and let
at Dos. per acre.
The late amazing improvements may
be attributed to various causes, among
others, the followt 8 have not been the
least operative.
LIST. 1nclosing our heath and waste
lands, folding sheep; and the most ex-
tensive use of mari and clay, on sandy
soils especially.
I'd. By the general introduction of
turnips, well hand hoed of clover, ray
grass, buckwheat and an excellent course
of crops.
The farms being generally large, and
held on long leases, the tenants were
thereby enabled to lay out their money
freely in Improvements, without being in
danger of losing the advantages arising
from their cost and labor.
We possess one natural advantage,
which perhaps cannot be found in an
equal degree in many other counties. In
all our sandy lands, wherever we dig,
we find excellent white and yellow mari,
or clay. The goodness of the mavl is
determined by its subduing quick in
water. On the first discovery of mari,
our farmers spread it in larger quantities
than at present; few laid on less than
eighty loads per acre; but for near thir-
ty years past, the general quantity has
been from forty to Fifty loads (or tons)
per acre. The effects of this quantity
will last twenty years and then half as
to the soil. We have however found
that on lands wholly sandy, clay has had
better effect than mari but where the
soil is mixture of sand and loan, or Of
sand and gravel, mari does excellently.
1t is not however, to mari and clay only,
that improvements are owing. Our
sheep are folded both summer and win
ter. We fatten beasts during the winter
on turnips in our farm yards, in which
we also keep large stock of swine.
Our stubbles are cut, and with large
quantities of straw, converted into ma
nure. Oil cake is also laid on wheat
lands to the amount Of two guineas per
acre. These manures freely used, have
proved the sources of wealth to thou
sands.
The usual course of crops among our
greatest and best farmers, is lst Tur-
nips; Cd. Barley Sd. Clover or Clover
and ray-grass 4th. Wheat. This
course has of late years become very
general, and keeps the soil clean. We
manure for turnips, if possible, and also
for wheat, sometimes our clover is ex-
tended to three years, but not frequently.
Oflate, especially, our clover often fails
the third year, and sometimes the second,
if the land be wet; for wherever the wa
ter stands in the winter or spring, clover
turns black and decays. Our farmers
agree in the opinion, that if turnips are
sown on well conditioned fallow, and
twice hoed, and the land ploughed three
times for barley, the clover may remain
at least two years without giving foul
crop Of wheat; especially as our wheats,
on clover lays are of late almost wholly
SCI, and more easily kept clean than
when sown broad cast. We set from
two to three pecks per acre, and find
great advantage from the practice, the
expense of setting is from six to eight
shillings per acre. On our fallows, we
plant with Mr.. Blancher's drill plough,
at less than half the expense, and with
equal regularity and success.
The Norfolk husbandry Isl, as Mr..
Young has Justly observed, quite sys-
tenn, every successive part of which is
dependent on the foregoing, and there
fore it will not admit of much variation.
As every thing depends on the sue
cess Of turnips, their success depends on
good hoeing. They are the only tallow
in our usual course; nor can we change
them for a mere fallow, because the
sheep, kept to fold, and to feed OF the
clover and ray-grass, would then starve
We give four ploughings for turnlIps'
and hoe them we'll twice. They otter