462 The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 



hop-yard Avhere picking is commenced the roots are always 

 weaker the next year, and this is attributed to the bleeding of the 

 roots of the first bines cut whilst they have so much sap in them ; 

 to obviate this as much as possible they do not commence picking 

 two years together in the same part of the hop-yard. 



I have briefly given my impressions after seeing Mr. Farmer's 

 system and talking the matter over with various persons ; but we 

 must wait awhile before we can confidently say it is a success, 

 for the bine on the iron wire may be affected by lightning, sharp 

 frosts in May, or other circumstances, and this can only be tested 

 by experience : still its promises are so important, that if I were 

 a large hop-grower I should certainly try the system on a few 

 acres. 



Occupancy. 



The holdings as a rule run from 200 acres to 250 acres, and 

 yearly tenancies prevail, the times of entry are pretty evenly 

 divided between Candlemas, Lady-day, and Michaelmas, the 

 former probably being the least common. With the two former 

 the tenant at leaving plants one-third or one-fourth the arable land 

 with wheat, which he harvests, retaining a portion of the barns and 

 granary for that purpose, but the straw belongs to the incomer. 

 He also retains the house, yards, and buildings, and a boozy 

 pasture till the 1st May, giving up a room in the house and 

 stable room, for the incomer's men and horses to enter upon to 

 work the land. 



With the Michaelmas entry there is no away-going wheat 

 crop, the outgoer consumes his roots, hay, and straw, and retains 

 the yards with a portion of the buildings and boozy pastures. He 

 is also paid for work done on the tillages. The incomer plants 

 the wheat. 



There is a custom in some places, by Avhich with the Candlemas 

 and Lady-day takings the incomer takes a portion of the wheat 

 crop without paying for it. If the wheat is planted after a fallow 

 he only takes every third stock ; otherwise every other one, the 

 outgoer having to cut it. 



These customs are very conflicting, and I hope to see them 

 done away with, arrangements being made for the incomer to 

 take the crops, &c., by valuation ; then it would matter little 

 whether a spring or autumn taking prevailed. With clay land 

 the latter is probably the better time ; but on sheep and turnip 

 soils, the former is preferable, as so many of the roots must be 

 consumed on the land. Whichever system may be adopted, I 

 strongly recommend that a liberal payment be made to the 

 tenant who leaves his farm in a good state. He should be paid 

 for all the manure purchased in his last year (except nitrate of 



