Book I. 



AGRICULTURE OF CORNWALL. 



1197 



luable animal, may be conslered a follow. The greatest num- 

 ber of calves fall between Candlemaii and jMay , and ijome much 

 later ; but among the best breeders, such late calves are not so 

 generally approved of. The usual mode of raising them, is to 

 let the calf suck as much as it will three times a day, for the 

 first week ; then bring it to the linger, and feed it with warm 

 new milk, in like manner for three weeks longer. This is the 

 ordinary treatment for the lirst month, and the calf is then fed 

 for two months longer, twice a day, with as much warm 

 scalded skimmed milk as it will urink; when, gradually 

 abating its morning and evening meals, at the end of four 

 months the animal is weaned irom all milk draughts, and left 

 to itself. Small portions of finely pounded linseed cakes are 

 often used, and recommended to be mixed with the skimmed 

 milk, particularly in the first period of its being given in the 

 place of new milk. 



The full sized North Devon cow, when fattened to its frame, 

 will not exceed eigtit score per quarter; and the ordinary 

 average of its ox, at five years old, and equally well fattened, 

 must not be rated liigher than three score per quarter above 

 the weight of its fattened mother. 



The usual practice in this district, is to sell the steers, at 

 four or five years old, to the graziers in the county of Somerset, 

 who feed them for a supply to the Bath, Bristol, and London 

 markets. Very few in the proportion raised, are fed in the 

 district, which may in a great measure be ascribed to the great 

 indjlference hitherto manifested in the culture of green food for 

 a winter supply ; and tor which, indeed, a sutHcient reason may 

 be drawn, from the deplorable wet state in which the lands 

 are suffered to remain trom the want of draining. 



In South Devon we find a mixture of the North Devon with 

 a larger animal of the same kind, called the Old Marlborough 

 Ked. This breed is said to have originated from the South 

 Malton stock, although at this time they ditier very materially 

 irom them in size, and in having a dirty brown, or rather 

 blackish color at the ears, nose, and encircling the eyes, and in 

 all such parts as the orange hue prevails in the genuine 

 North Devon breed. A cross with this breed is however much 

 preferrtid, as it produces a greater aptitude to fatten in a given 

 time, than is experienced in the South Devon stock, which in 

 all its points is a much coarser animal, and ^)roduces a greater 

 otfal. There does not appear to be any particular choice with 

 r;gard to color in this breed. 



S/ieep, the Exmoor breed, a horned animal, with a moder- 

 ately loni; staple of wool, which heretofore, and before the cloth 

 manufacture tied from this county into Yorkshire, was much 

 used by the clothiers of North and South Malton, Cullumpton, 

 Thorverton, Tiverton, and other places in the i ounty. 



The sheep most approved in the division of Tiverton, are the 

 Bampton Notts. Tue first cross of this breed with the New 

 Leicester is growing greatly in esteem, from its improving the 

 form, and bringing the animal three months sooner to market. 



The sheep generally depastured on the moorlands, are the 

 Exmoor, Dartmoor, and the light hardy breed of the lower 

 moors and commons in the county. The autumnal rains fre- 

 quently iaundating the cold clay lands, are very apt to occasion 

 the caw, or rot among them, and which has been sometimes 

 experienced to an alarming extent. 



The Merinos, Rylands, Downs, and other fashionable breeds 

 have been tried by amateurs ; but Devon is less a sheep than a 

 cjttle county. Native breed of hogs large, and long legged. 



Horses, a small compact breed ; with the exception of the 

 farm-horses in Ireland, those in Devonshire liave perhaps as 

 hard a measure of neglect and ill-usage dealt out to them, as 

 is any wfiere to be met with in the united kingdom. 



11. Political Ecorunny. 



Had the roiids of this county been laid out in the judicious 

 manner practised by the Indians of North America, they 

 would have been found to follow the water courses in all cases 

 where they might lead in their general direction, towards the 

 point assigned for carrying them. In doing this, infinitely 

 more judgment would have been'displayed, and a far greater 

 benefit secured to posterity, than in that which has been 

 adopted by the original projectors of some of the most import- 

 ant and most frequented roads in this country. This is cltarly 

 demonstrated by the road between Barnstable and Chumleigh, 

 which, instead of being conducted through tlie valley ot the 

 Taw, is carried over the highest brows of the river hills, where 

 the traveller is unceasingly compelled to Jiscend and descend 

 the sharpest hills in the county. The same may be said of the 

 road between Bideibrd and Torrington, by the great omission 

 of its not beini' carried along the foot of the river hills, and 

 through the valley of the Torridge river. 



jSaaufaclures of woollens of various sorts were formerly com- 



7039. CORNWALL. A peninsular hilly surface, of 753,484 acres, remarkable for its mines, and of late 

 creatly improved in its agriculture, the object of which is chiefly corn. It is the country of Sir H. Davy, 

 who may be considered as having eminently contributed to agricultural science by his agricultural che- 

 mistry. The inhabitants have been remarkable from the time of the Romans for their mildness and 

 complacency of temper, urbanity, {lospitality, courteousness, and liberality. {Fraser's Cornwall, 1794. 

 Pargan's Cornwall, 1810. Marshal's Review, 1817.) 



2. Property. 

 Very much divided, subdivided, and veiatiously intermixed. 



Estates from twenty acres to .500 acres, very few exceeding 

 400/. per annum. Many gentlemen and clerj;ymen in thii 

 county occupy their own estates and glebes, and keep their 

 grounds in a very superior state of cultivation. The manage- 

 ment of great estates is generally given to attomies. 



Kntiiiled estates. " I was in hopes that 1 had been a singular 

 sutierer in Cornwall, from this kind of deceptive tenure; it 

 would then not have been worthy of notice ; but injniy excursions 

 through the county, I have met with fellow -sufferers, and with 

 others who are likely to become so. As such cases have occur- 

 red, and mav occur again, it Ijehoves every man, who is about 

 to occupy a farm for a term by lease, to make enquiry whether 

 it be an entailed estate or not ; l)ecause the possessor having 

 the power of letting for his own life only, in case of his death, 

 the occupier is left entirely at the mercy of liis successor." 

 (Pargan's Survey, 22.) 



3. Buildings. 

 Old farra-liouses of mud and thatch ; the lower divisions torn. 



sist of a kitchen, nd an apartment dignified with the nasMt ef 



C 4 



mon ; but are at present on the decline ; many manul^ctures 

 and works employing numerous hands at Plymouth. Two 

 agricultural societies, but both iU attended Mid on -the de- 

 cline. 



Education of the Poor, or Loner Classes. Vancouver concludes 

 his report by some pages of observations which, happily, are 

 seldom equalled in illiberality, and viewing the subject as we 

 do, they compel us to look on him as an enemy to human na- 

 ture, and to turn from his book, his name, and memory with 

 feelings of dislike. " It is an incontrovertible truth," he 

 says, " that the restless disposition of the Irish, and their emi- 

 gration to America, is owing to their being generally instruct- 

 ed to read and write. The disposition of the Scotch and Ger- 

 mans to emigrate, arises from the same reason, and the Eng- 

 lish peas mt under the same influence, will be acted on in the 

 same manner." He " respectfully submits to the consideration 

 of the Honorable Board, the propriety of opposing any mea- 

 sure that may rationally be supposed to lead to such a fatal 

 issue." 



Marshal, whose considerate and humane spirit justly object* 

 to the term peasantry, as at all applicable to the operative 

 classes ofBritain, has the following excellent remarks on this 

 subject. 



With respect to the emigration of the Irish, " well it is," he 

 says, " for Ireland and America, that they do so. The one is 

 overstocked with the class that furnishes work-people ; the 

 other wants enlightened workmen. Of slaves and savages it 

 has enow. The unlettered Irish stay at home, to riot, plot, 

 andwiurder; to commit acts of treason, stratagem, and spoil ; 

 or emigrate to England, to revel, awhile, in outrage, and be 

 hangedi." 



On Vancouver's ideas on education, he observes, " After 

 some other groundless arguments, the Reporter sums up in 

 Italics, and with the aid of foreign tongues, in the following 

 ultra-royal manner. ' In short, the peasant's mind should 

 never be inspired with a desire to amend his circumstances 

 by the quitting of his cast' (this, says M., is Hindoo), 

 ' but every means the most benevolent and feeling heart 

 can desire, should be employed to make that' situation as 

 comfortable and is happy to him as ix)ssible ; and to which end 

 nothing more essential could contribute than by exciting a 

 general emulation to excel in all their avocations, even to those 

 of breaking stones for a lime-kiln, or for repairing the high- 

 ways.' 'Hear, hear!' says M. 'This is English.' Good 

 heaven ! And is there an Englishman (or a Dutchman 

 they are brothers in sentiment) with' nerve enough to 

 write the two first lines above quoted ! ! ! He surely could not 

 know that many men of ' the brightest genius,' and who are 

 much more estimable members of a community ; many great 

 and good men have, in England, been moulded and nurtured 

 in the ' peasant cast. ' " 



" Fortunately for society, in England, the writer's ezotio 

 notions have not taken root. Seminaries, for civilizing the 

 children of the laboring classes, have been, and are rapidly 

 increasing." 



" In a civilized nation, early schooling tends to reclaim 

 children from savage propensities, and to prepare them for 

 civilized society; inculcates a propriety of behavior, one of the 

 very first lessons a child should be induced to learn in a civilized 

 nation. In the savage state, savage manners may be deemed a 

 virtue, as being, ..in that state, conducive to self-preserva- 

 tion." 



" Attendance in a school inures children to a requisite degree 

 of restraint; and a division of time^ employs their minds, and 

 prevents idleness, and other vicious habits, from taking root ; 

 thus tending to raise them to the rank of rational beings. 

 While the unfortunate offspring of indigence, that are suffered 

 to loiter away their early days on commons, in lanes, and bye- 

 places, acquire habits of indolence and pilfering ; give a loose to 

 their own wills and unrestrained tempers ; commit acts of mis- 

 chief, and add to them the guilt of lying, (the seed-bed of 

 fraud) to screen them from correction." 



" The discipline of a well-governed school impresses on 

 youthful minds subordination, industry, patience, and its 

 consequent, perseverance; and thus habituates them to receive 

 instructions." 



Wliere Vancouver is at present we do not know ; we hope he 

 may long live to witness the extension of education which is 

 now taking place, not only in this, but in almost every country 

 in the world; and we hope all those whom he designates pea- 

 santry, who may ever happen to read the above extracts, will see 

 the necessity of fortifying themselves by knowledge. and good 

 conduct, against the degradation attendant upon ignorance and 

 vice. 



1. Geographical State and Circumstances. 



Climate, like that of other peninsular situations lying far to 

 the south and west, inconstant as to wind and rain, and mild 

 as to heat and cold. Plants, shmbs, and even the most hardy 

 trees on the sea-coast, sustain much injury from the violence of 

 the westerly wind, and the salt spray of the sea, which it drives 

 w ith great force before it ; nence crops of wheat and turnips have 

 been totally destroyed. After a storm, the plants have tlieir 

 roots much torn, and their leaves corroded and shrivelled as if 

 scorched, and taste of a pungent saltness. Trees and shrubs 

 shrink and lean away to the eastward, and appear as if clipped 

 by the gardener's shears. The only slurub which seems to bear 

 the sea air is the tamarisk. 



Surjiice remarkably unequal ; ascents and descents toUow m 

 rapid succession ; some hills very steep. 



Soil generallv slaty, and loamy, mixed in a manner that ren- 

 ders it almost impossible to designate tl\e boundaries and extent 

 of each. , . 



Minerals chiefly tin and copper ; for the former (^ornwall fias 

 f)een famousfVom the remotest antiquity, as some think, from 

 the d*ys of the Phoenicians. 



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