[ 198 J 
edly, to decreafe the number of farmers; and that 
though this event may be fometimes haftened by 
inclofures, yet that it may, and frequently does, 
take place without them. But in this part of the 
county, where land is in general fo valuable, the 
effe&t of confolidating fmall farms will not be fo 
vifible as in South-Wiltfhire. The vaft improve- 
ments made on the lands in confequence of inclo- 
fure, particularly by draining, and by the laying 
down to pafture fuch land as was too wet for arable, 
has increafed the rental of the country fo much, 
that there will, probably, be always land fufficient 
for the occupation of the inhabitants of it. 
It has been already ftated, that there are a great 
number of fmall freeholders in this part of the 
county; and as thefe divifions of property have 
generally happened in the inclofed parts, it has 
tended to retain thofe inhabitants, who would have 
been otherwife driven out by the extinction of life. 
hold tenures. 
In many parts of the diftrict that are ftill ina 
common-field ftate, the landholders would be much 
greater gainers by an inclofure, than it is poffible 
they can in many parts of the South-eaft diftrict of 
the county ; as there are fo many parts of the land 
that, when inclofed, may be applied to the pur- 
pofes of a {mall farm, without the neceflity of keep- 
ing a flock of fheep to manure it; viz. by keeping 
that. part which will be neceflary ta remain in 
arable, 
