48 ROCK AND FAR FOREST 



vetches and corn, may be grown in the garden for 

 winter keep, but hay mown in the orchards is 

 practically the crop relied on for this purpose. A 

 good deal of hay seems also to be sold off these 

 little holdings to local hay-dealers. The orchards 

 receive most of the farmyard manure, and, except 

 on some of the poorest land, look in fairly good 

 condition. The fruit-trees do not seem to receive 

 any particular attention ; while most of them are 

 now at their prime, there are a good number getting 

 too old, and very little fresh planting is being done. 



Size of Holdings. 



The holdings vary from cottage holdings of 

 2 or 3 acres up to little grass farms of 20 to 

 30 acres. The largest in the parish of Far Forest 

 is 40 acres. There are 160 under 20 acres. It is 

 only on the larger sizes that an entire living can be 

 made ; and in nearly every case it will be found 

 that, if the man is not in regular work, he has some 

 other means of earning a livelihood. 



Local Industries. 



It is, perhaps, the many varied occupations 

 which are open to the people in the neighbour- 

 hood which make the small holdings of such value. 



The proximity of the Forest of Wyre supplies 

 employment for a number of foresters at different 

 times of the year. In the spring a large number of 

 men and women are engaged in bark-peeling for 

 the Bewdley tan-yards. The young oaks which 



