Stocking Land. 131 



persisting in their system. I was aware how much, in my native 

 county of Norfolk, under the four-course system, the growth of 

 corn had been increased by interposing a large growth of food 

 for stock, and how this multiplication of the stock had been still 

 further promoted by the purchase of food grown elsewhere, espe- 

 cially oil-cake. But I believed that the time Avas coming when, 

 even in Norfolk, the stock would be found to be most remu- 

 nerative, and that, consequently, the farmer would only grow corn 

 so far as it harmonises with the profitable keeping of stock. 

 Under such management much valuable manure would be made, 

 which would indefinitely increase the productive powers of the 

 land ; and (unless prices changed) the increased production, 

 whether ripened into straw or used in a green state, would still 

 further increase the amount of the stock reared or fed. But 

 under these circumstances a total change would take place In the 

 relations of capital and land. Hitherto the question has been, 

 How many acres can be most profitably cultivated by a limited 

 capital ? Henceforth it will rather be, How much capital can 

 be profitably expended on a limited area ? 



1 have no doubt that these and similar questions have sug- 

 gested themselves to you and many others. For myself, they 

 have guided my course for the last few years, and have led to 

 the following result, which, if you think it of any value, you are 

 very welcome to publish. 



My glebe consists of about 30 acres of grass-land, which used 

 to let at a rent of 55/. I have farmed it for some years in 

 connection with various parcels of land which I have temporarily 

 rented in the neighbourhood. The general result has been that 

 from keeping an extra quantity of stock, and particularly from 

 folding sheep with corn upon my grass, its value has been con- 

 siderably increased.* It would be perhaps a fair account of pre- 

 vious improvement to value Its gross rent for the present year at 

 about 3/. per acre, or 100/. In order to make myself as free as 

 possible of tillage farming, I have for some time used sea-sand 



* The sheep are all Long-wools. We have in Devonshire a class of these 

 valuable sheep known as " Notts." There are two if not three divisions of this 

 old breed : the " Bampton," the " South Ham," and perhaps the hornless " Dart- 

 moor." They have, of course, been much intermixed with the Leicesters ever since 

 Mr. Bakewell gave to that particular class of the English Long-wools their supe- 

 riority and notoriety. But the greater delicacy or " fineness " of the Leicesters 

 has made many of the Devonshire flock-masters cling to the old breed, which have 

 better constitutions. I have, for some years, taken pains to procure good ewes of 

 the old stock, and have put to them some of the best Cotswold and Lincoln 

 rams. The result has been very satisfactory, and you will see from my accounts 

 that the thirty rams I sold last year averaged more than &l. each. As they 

 were all sold to farmers in the neighbourhood, these were not fancy prices ; and 

 I am told that my ''JSew Devons " are thought likely to make a very valuable 

 flock. 



K 2 



