COWBIT HOUSE FARM 225 



DIVISION or THE LAND. 



The small amount of grass land has been divided 

 up with post and wire fencing amongst the men 

 occupying the farm buildings. 



They alone, with the holder of 35 acres occupy- 

 ing the bottom yard, are earning a living entirely 

 on the land. Here again the necessity of more 

 grass land was insisted on, to enable the tenants to 

 use the land to the best advantage. 



The remaining land was divided up into lots of 

 from 1 to 6 acres. All these holders lived at some 

 distance, several having four or five miles to walk 

 and cart their implements, manure, etc. 



The plots were cultivated as on Willow Tree 

 Farm. The smaller men in regular employment 

 with 1 or 2 acres get their land ploughed by higglers 

 at the cost of 9s. an acre. Those with 3 or 4 acres 

 either keep horses and do higgling work, growing 

 their own corn and potatoes, or they have some 

 other employment at certain times of year, and use 

 their plots to fall back on in slack times. 



YIELD OF CROPS. 



The average crop of potatoes is about 6 tons to 

 the acre, rising to 11 tons in good seasons. In 

 1904 many only got 3 tons, and sold them at 

 30s. a ton, which did not pay for their cultivation 

 to those who had to hire horse labour. There is a 

 great difference in the yield of the crops according 

 to the management of the cultivators. As an 



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