CHAPTER VIII 
CULTIVATED LAND: CULTURE ASSOCIATIONS 
Origin of the cultivated land. Nature of the cultivated land. Permanent 
pasture. The arable land. Plantations. Afforestation. Utilization 
of the peat-moors. 
ORIGIN OF THE CULTIVATED LAND 
THE whole of the land now fenced and under cultivation 
was, of course, originally occupied by spontaneous plant asso- 
ciations. Of these, those that once covered the land now 
cultivated were in all probability of the nature of woodland 
in prehistoric and even in early historic times. 
Most of the land below about 900 feet (274 m.) has been 
cultivated for many centuries; but there is historical evidence 
which shows that, during the last century and a half, con- 
siderable intakes at altitudes up to about 1500 feet (457 m.) 
have taken place. Whilst the process of reclamation is, to 
a slight extent, still proceeding, the modern attempts in this 
direction are of a local and intermittent character. These 
attempts are nearly all made at the expense of grassland or 
the lower fringe of the moorland, 
NATURE OF THE CULTIVATED LAND 
Almost the whole of the cultivated land of this district is 
laid down to grass, and is termed by English agriculturists “ per- 
manent pasture,” as it is nowadays never ploughed. Ploughed 
or arable land is, on the whole, of rather uncommon occurrence. 
_~° The cultivated land is separated by fences constructed of 
either sandstone or limestone. The sandstone walls ultimately 
weather to an almost black hue, whilst the limestone walls 
