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plowing, after paring and burning, then oats twice in succession; with the last of these they lay down with ray-grass and clover for six or seven years, then pare and burn, and repeat the same husbandry.

The crops commonly cultivated in Suffolk are: wheat, barley, oats, rye, beans, peas, buck-wheat; which, on the very poorest sands, is more common than in many other parts of England, and is for such soils a very valuable crop; tares; cole-seed, one of the principal productions of the fen-district, and which, as food for sheep, exceeds turnips both in regard to fattening and milk; turnips, clover, trefoil, white clover, and sainfoin. Swedish turnips and beet root, are grown on the good lands and almost supersede the white.

The crops not so commonly cultivated consist of hops, cabbages, carrots, lucerne, chicory, potatoes, and hemp.

The cultivation of hops, introduced into England in the reign of Henry VIII, seems to have been early attended to in this county, Bullein, who wrote his Bulwarke of Defence in the middle of the sixteenth century, mentions their growing at Brusyard, near Framlingham, and in many other places, The same writer, in his Government of Health, observes, that "tho' there cometh many good hops from beyond sea, yet it is known that the goodly stilles and fruit

ful grounds of England do bring forth unto man's use, as good hops as groweth in any place in this world, as by proof I know in many places in the countie of Suffolke, whereas they brew their own beere with the hops that growupon their own grounds," From the manner in which Tusser, who was a Suffolk farmer about the same time, mentions them, and the frequent directions which he gives respecting their management, it may be inferred, that almost every person who had a proper spot, cultivated some at least for his own use. This crop, however, is very little cultivated at present in Suffolk, except at Stowmarket, and in its neighbourhood, where there are about 200 hundred acres. There are also about ten acres cultivated at Rushmere near Ipswich, within a few years; upon a particular soil, which produce very fine hops,

In regard to cabbages, Mr. Young observes, that the heavy part of Suffolk is the only district in England, where to his knowledge, their culture is established among many common farmers. It has, however for some years considerably declined, from the idea that this plant exhausts the ground, an opinion which that celebrated agriculturist thinks is founded on ill management.

The cultivation of carrots in the Sandlings, or district within the line formed by Woodbridge, Saxmundham, and Orford, but extending

to Leiston, is one of the most interesting objects in the agriculture of Britain. From Norden's Surveyor's Dialogue, it appears that carrots were commonly cultivated in this district two centuries ago; a fact which demonstrates how long such practices may be confined to the same spot, and how much time is required to extend them. For many years they were chiefly raised for the London market; but other parts of the kingdom having rivalled Suffolk in this supply, they are now principally cultivated as food for draught horses. It has been found by long experience, that this food keeps those animals in much finer condition, and enables them to go through all the work of the season much better than corn or hay. For horses that are ridden fast, they are not equally proper. They are also of the greatest use for fattening bullocks, and feeding cows, sheep, and swine. The expence of an acre is about eight guineas, and the value from twelve to fifteen.

The merit of introducing chicory into the husbandry of England, belongs to Mr. Young, a native and inhabitant of this county.

The tract in which hemp is chiefly found, extends from Eye to Beccles, and is about ten miles in breadth. It is cultivated both by farmers and cottagers, though it is very rare to see more than five or six acres in the hands of one person. This is an article of considerable im

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portance, on account of the employment afforded by the various operations which it requires. In the above-mentioned district, indeed the poor are entirely supported by this manufacture. The Suffolk hemp is superior in strength and quality to that of Russia; the cloths woven from it are of various degrees of fineness and breadth, from 10d. a yard, half ell wide, to 4s. and 4s. 6d. ell wide. It makes also very good huckaback for towels, and common table-cloths. The low-priced hemps are a general wear for servants, husbandmen, and labouring manufacturers; those from 18d. to 2s, a yard, for farmers and tradesmen ; while the finer sorts from 2s. 9d. to 3s. 6d, are preferred by many gentlemen for strength and warmth to other linen.

Saffron was formerly cultivated to a great extent in Suffolk, This oriental plant was first grown in England in the reign of Edward III. and was much used by our ancestors. In 1366, no less than eighteen pounds of saffron were consumed in the household of Margaret, Countess of Norfolk, at Framlingham Castle, in this county. It long coutinued to be a considerable article of cookery, as well as medicine; but from the revolution in manners and fashions, its use has greatly decreased. It was chiefly raised in Norfolk. Suffolk, Essex, and Cambridgeshire, though now its culture is confined chiefly to the last. Several pieces of land in this

county are still named from it: at Fornham St. Genevieve, is a piece called the Saffron Yard; another at Great Thurlow, the Saffron Ground; and a piece of glebe land near Finningham Church-yard, is denominated the Saffron Pans, or Panes, probably from the slips or beds in which the plants were set.

Among the manures employed by the Suffolk farmers, the species called crag may be noted as peculiar to this county. It is composed of dry powdered shells, and formerly produced a very great improvement in that part of the maritime district called the Sandlings, south of Woodbridge, Orford, and Saxmundham, by being spread on the black ling heaths with which that whole tract was formerly covered, effect, however like that of lime has often been found to decline on repeating the application.

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Irrigation, one of the greatest improvements in modern agriculture, is very little practised in Suffolk, where large tracts of poor and unproductive arable land are to be seen in almost every parish, at least in the vicinity of every stream, below the level in which water might be made to flow. Some spirited individuals, indeed, have within these few years, sent for men from other counties, where the practise is understood, to irrigate their meadows; and it is sincerely to be wished that their example may be generally followed.

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