106 



Changes in calves. Poultry rearing is receiving increased attention, and 



System in many cases is very remunerative, but more still miglit be 



and Special J one i n this direction. 

 Industries 



(b.) Counties of Cumberland, Westmorland, Lancashire, Cheshire, 

 Derby and Stafford. 



CUMBERLAND. Fruit farming, vegetable growing, &c., arc 

 carried 011 to so small an extent that they can supply practi- 

 cally no check to the decline in population. Referring to the 

 effect of converting arable land to. grass on the demand for 

 labour, Mr. Watt remarks that for the last few years there 

 has been a slight inclination to increase the corn-growing area. 



WESTMORLAND. The principal developments of farming 

 during late years have been in the direction of supplying milk, 

 poultry, eggs, &c., to the towns, but these are to be looked on 

 more as aids to income than as employing additional hands. 

 Poultry farming is stated to have developed principally in the 

 hands of cottagers. Fruit and vegetable growing have not 

 increased to any appreciable extent. 



LANCASHIRE. Dairy farming, particularly for milk produc- 

 tion, is constantly on the increase, but fruit farming, &c., have 

 not developed to a sufficient extent to have any effect on the 

 decline in population. 



CHESHIRE. Mr. Davies suggests that the changes in the 

 system of farming indicated under Question 2, may have 

 resulted from the scarcity of labour rather than contributed 

 to it. Although fruit growing and poultry rearing are extend- 

 ing, it is not thought that they have done so sufficiently to have 

 materially increased the demand for labour. 



DERBY. There is stated to have been practically no change 

 in the sj^stem of farming during the last 20 years, the produc- 

 tion of milk being the principal occupation of nine-tenths of 

 Derbyshire farmers. The area of permanent grass has not 

 increased ; in fact, Mr. Waite writes : " I have known more 

 grass land broken up to grow roots for dairy cattle than arable 

 land laid down for pasture." Milk production superseded 

 cheese making about 1869-74, and is now the principal industry 

 on the large majority of Derbyshire farms. 



STAFFORD. Mr. Carrington Smith, writing of the changes 

 in farming during the last 50 years, says : "In 1858 this farm 

 of 242 acres was looked upon as a wheat-growing farm with a 

 small herd of Longhorn cows used for cheesemaking. At that 

 time there were tyings in the cowshed for 18 head ; now there 

 are tyings for 02 head. Open fold yards have been abandoned, 

 and the open fields are noAv used with considerable advantage to 

 the land. There are now in mid-winter 20 head in the open 



