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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



fence captivated the people ; it proved the coup de 

 main which turned a douhtful result to his entire 

 favour : lie was i)ronouuced not guilty, and those 

 present took note of his inventions. During their 

 early history their occupations were small. Cin- 

 cinnatus, who was summoned from the plough to 

 be dictator, had only four acres. But as the em- 

 pire extended and its wealth increased, rich indi- 

 viduals were allowed to purchase large estates, and 

 to cultivate them by means of bailiffs and tenants. 

 And we gather from these writers that their man- 

 agement must have been very respectable. They 

 knew well the value of manure, and set many of 

 us an example in storing it, using covered pits for 

 the purpose; they had a knowledge of draining, 

 similar to that practised now, using earthen pipes, 

 stones, and wood; they were very particular as to their 

 ploughing, having it done very straight, and with 

 regular furrows. They had a great variety of 

 ploughs, and, no doubt, these possessed a con- 

 siderable degree of excellence. According to Pliny, 

 they ploughed in their seed with a double-breasted 

 plough, which is alluded to by Virgil, in his 

 instructions for the manufacture of this im- 

 plement; I do not know whether my worthy 

 brothers will deem it worth their attention : — 

 " Formed for the crooked plough, by force sub- 

 dued. 

 Bend the tough elm, yet green amid the wood ; 

 Beyond eight feet in length the beam extend : 

 With double back the pointed share defend; 

 Double the earth-boards that the glebe divide. 

 And cast the furrowed ridge on either side ; 

 But, light the polished yoke of linden bough, 

 And light the beechen staff that turns the plough ; 

 These long suspend where smoke their strength 



explores, 

 And seasons into use, and binds their pores." 



Reaping machines were also used by them ; and 

 the worthy Scotch pastor, Patrick Bell, who in- 

 troduced one into Scotland in 1827, doubtless took 

 his idea from the description of the one used by 

 the Romans. They also let the land generally 

 upon lease — a sufficient ])roof that it was decently 

 managed. Such is a short outline of the agricul- 

 ture pursued by this mighty people; audit is a 

 startling historical fact, that when this great coun- 

 try neglected it — although great were its conquests 

 — the seeds of its dissolution were sown, for it 

 rapidly declined. And from misrule, and other 

 causes, the agriculture of the south of Europe has 

 relapsed, and remains in what may be termed a bar- 

 barous state; for my brother, who visited the Aus- 

 trian dominions, on business, two years ago, informs 

 me that, in the southern part of Hungary, the only 

 preparation much of the land receives is effected 

 by bushes bound together to form a harrow, which 

 are tied to the tails of Hungarian ponies, and 

 driven rapidly over the land. 



There seems every reason to believe that Britain 

 owed its first lessons in agriculture, as an art, to the 

 Romans, and Agricola was the chief instrument. The 

 native Britons used but a small jiortion of the land 

 for raising corn or other cultivated vegetaliles, and 

 the rest of the country was left entirely oj)en, afford- 

 ing a common pasturage for their cattle : the greatest 



proportion of the country was occupied by heaths, 

 woods, and other unreclaimed wastes — the woods 

 supplying a great deal of food, as beech nuts and 

 acorns, for large numbers of swine. But during 

 the Roman sway, agriculture rapidly improved, so 

 much so that very considerable quantities of grain 

 were exported from this country. The Emperor 

 Julian at one time sent a fleet of 600 vessels to 

 convey away the corn he had exacted from the 

 natives ; and these vessels have been supposed 

 capable of exporting 120,000 quarters of corn — 

 convincing proof that a country that could bear 

 so large a drain on its produce must have made 

 some rapid strides in its cultivation. With this 

 great improvement in the country, it was succes- 

 sively subdued by the Saxons and the Danes; but, 

 as these came to improve their fortunes, and to 

 win the comforts of life, agriculture continued to 

 flourish. The division of landed property into 

 inlands and outlands originated with the Saxon 

 princes, who gave to their followers whatever 

 districts they pleased, as rewards for assistance 

 in the conquest, reserving to themselves certain 

 portions, and imposing certain burdens upon each 

 estate granted. These proprietors let their farms, 

 and the rent was settled by law. For, according to 

 the laws of King Ina, the rent of a farm consist- 

 ing of ten hides, equal to about 1,200 acres, was 

 10 casks of honey, 300 loaves of bread, 12 casks 

 of strong ale, 30 casks of small ale, 2 oxen, 10 

 wethers, 10 geese, 20 hens, 10 cheeses, 1 cask of 

 butter, 5 salmon, 20lb. of forage, and 100 eels; a 

 very moderate rent we should consider in these 

 days, and one that would scarcely call for any 

 grumbling. " The introduction, however, of the 

 feudal system by the Norman conquest brought in 

 unsettled times, and the proud and ambitious ba- 

 rons, being more intent on distinction in a rude 

 and cruel warfare, regarded with contemj)t a pur- 

 suit which accorded so little with their tastes, and 

 which was rendered insecure by the internal feuds 

 to which their more ignoble exercises gave rise. 

 Hence, agriculture rapidly declined. A feudal 

 system has been rightly designated the encamp- 

 ment of a great army ; and though the possession 

 of the land was the remuneration which the soldier 

 received for his services, that possession was granted 

 during pleasure, and so long only as the vassal 

 could render sufficient military aid. To afford 

 this service, he was subject to be called away from 

 the fields at the most important seasons, his supe- 

 rior being anxious only for military distinction, and 

 so far from patronizing, had no sympathy in the 

 degraded occupation of husbandry."* The enclo- 

 sure of land was carried out on a small scale on 

 the early Saxon estates ; but it was not until the 

 reign of Henry HI. that it received more atten- 

 tion ; and this was caused by the improvement in 

 the demand for the broad-cloths manufactured in 

 this country. The landed proprietors then saw 

 that it would be to their interest to enclose their 

 manorial wastes, in which to feed sheep them- 

 selves, or to let out as pasture farms. Some 

 writers, however, think that we are indebted to the 



* Dudgeon's Agriculture of Scotland, Roy. Ag. 

 Jour., vol. I. 



