268 HAL WILL, NORTH DEVON 



crop grown. The ordinary shift is seeds, roots, 

 oats, seeds, or, if the land is clean, seeds, roots, 

 oats, wheat, seeds. 



A feature of the country which offers special 

 facilities for the subdivision of farms is the large 

 number of small hedged enclosures, often of a few 

 acres only in extent. Their object, I was informed, 

 was that of shelter ; but, as they were most numer- 

 ous in the lower lying and more sheltered places, it 

 seems probable that the explanation given me by 

 one of the oldest inhabitants is nearer the mark 

 viz., that the dry patches on the undrained moor- 

 land were cultivated, and hedged in to prevent the 

 encroachments of the animals turned loose on the 

 open stretches of unreclaimed land. In the pro- 

 cess of consolidation into larger farms many of 

 these enclosures were destroyed and the hedges 

 levelled. Where, however, as in this case, they 

 have been left, it is a great help towards what is 

 probably a return to the former conditions of the 

 district. 



The chief items of expense in the conversion of 

 larger holdings are here at a minimum : the land is 

 already fenced out in small enclosures ; there is 

 nearly always sufficient provision of water ; and 

 there remains but to add adjacent enclosures to the 

 cottages, which would in all probability be vacated 

 if the men were dependent only on hired agricul- 

 tural labour. 



