274 Agricultural Revolutions and Change
the best yields of cereals and turnips in the region having begun with some of the
‘poorest pieces in the lordship’ (Beastall, 1978). One field of 16 hectares was
renowned for its heterogeneous soils – yields were generally poor, but varied widely
across the field. He began by applying bones, ash, lime and manures in 1829, and
then grazing it for two years; it was then partly underdrained and partly marled; by
1839 a good oat and wheat crop was recorded. In 1840 more marling, manuring
and bones produced ‘excellent turnips’, the next year excellent barley and oats too.
In 1843 the remainder of the field was underdrained and further marled. In 1845
the consistency of crops was now the same across the whole field, and in 1846
barley yielded at 3.5 tonnes/hectare.
Experiments with rotation patterns
Intensification advanced significantly with the introduction of root crops, includ-
ing turnips, carrots, potatoes and swedes, and true and ‘artificial’ grass mixes,
which included some 5–10 new grass species, nitrogen-fixing clovers, trefoils and
Source: Arthur Biddell. Day Book No. 2. 1817–1821. ESCRO HA2/A3/2
Figure 12.1 Experimental layout for wheat treated with ashes, livestock manure or
composted green tares (vetch) grown on the four-hectare Holly Bush field on the farm
of Arthur Biddell at Playford, Suffolk, 1819. Reproduced from Day Book No. 2.