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^l. — Bringinf/ Moorlandinto Cultivation. By ROBERT Smith, 

 Emmett's Grange, Exmoor. 



Prize Essay. 



The reclaiming of moorlands deserves attention among the other 

 improvements of our native agriculture, as one means of pro- 

 viding food for an increasing population. 



All lands as yet uncultivated or unreclaimed are properly 

 termed the waste lands of England. They include several varie- 

 ties of soil, and are placed at various elevations. They have 

 (each in their way) some local and peculiar influences bearing 

 upon their power of affording a due return for any spirited outlay 

 advanced for their improvement. It admits of a question (which 

 may fairly be discussed in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society) whether the modern improvements in practice or in 

 science have advanced to such a degree as to give us any new 

 advantages in grappling Avith those ancient difficulties which 

 have caused certain moorlands to be hitherto neglected. 



Some waste lands can only be turned to account by planting. 

 Under this head fall those wliich are mountainous and rocky, or 

 very much exposed ; while the marshes, peat-mosses, bogs, and 

 certain otlier moors, are more suitable for cultivation and im- 

 proveinent. 



The difference between these two classes of waste land 

 suggests a division of labour and risk in the task of improving 

 them. It naturally devolves on the owner of an estate to retain 

 the wild and unmanageable lands for the growth of timber, not 

 only with a view to the picturesque beauty of an improving 

 estate, but also as a means of lessening the disadvantages of an 

 exposed situation, by providing shelter prospectively for the 

 stock of future tenants, and further for use in fences, gates, and 

 buihlings. Where this first step is neglected a heavy loss is 

 entaih'd on those who succeed to the ownership. On the other 

 hand, such lands as will pay for cultivation should be intrusted 

 to spirited tenants, with the encouragement of liberal covenants, 

 suited to the particular district or occupation. 



"^J^lie term liberal covenants may suggest innumerable and 

 vague ideas as to the development of enterprise. But it is 

 evident that for such a bold and imjiortant enterprise as the 

 *' reclaiming ot" waste lands," hitherto untouched by tlie hand of 

 the husl)an(4inan, extraordinary encouragement in some form 

 cither is or ought to be given by the landlord. This encourage- 

 ment may be given by low rents, long leases, or l)y pecuniary 

 assistance, which is, in fact, the loan of capital. It is the opinion 

 of the writer that, with a view to staliilily and an iionest and 



VOL. xvir. 2 B 



