1856. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



239 



mense moor here, known as Bagshot Heath. Sev- 

 eral portions have been cleared, and others planted 

 with pine trees, but most of it is in its original state. 

 Moors again make their apjiearance towards the 

 south, where there is a large forest, called the New 

 Forest, made by William the Conqueror, who is 

 said to have destroyed towns and villages that he 

 might have it for a hunting ground. The New 

 Forest covers 68,000 acres, and belongs to the 

 crown. 



The character of Hampshire, therefore, is a coun- 

 ty of ancient forests and heather. The heather 

 supplies food for a race of small but excellent 

 sheep, known as Bagshot sheep. The oak forests, 

 similar to those descril)ed in Ivanhoc, proA'ide food 

 in like manner for herds of swine, which furnish 

 excellent bacon. 



In the poorer districts of this country, single 

 farms contain as much as 1000, 2000 aiid 3000 

 acres. In the southern part, they range from one 

 hundred to five hundred acres. The large farms 

 are almost entirely devoted to sheep, and the race 

 has been greatly increased in numbers, though not 

 improved in the quality of meat. The race of pigs 

 is no longer that tall, active and strong race of 

 former days ; but one that fattens better and more 

 quickly. 



This county calls on me to say a few words on Eng- 

 lish trees. The existence of the New Forest is now- 

 threatened, on the ground that it might be advan- 

 tageously parcelled out and sold, either for farms or 

 parks. In England, the prejudice against clearing 

 land is not great, because coal is abundant for fuel, 

 and the rapid advance of population mikes it neces- 

 sary to look about for means for its support. But 

 observe — the destruction of forests in England, 

 does not imply the destruction of the large trees ; 

 far from it. If England has less wood than most 

 other countries, she possesses more fine trees 

 Most of her counties present the aspect of a well- 

 wooded country ; but the trees are scattered among 

 the hedgerows, in the parks, and along the roads. 

 They are not packed together. At the same time, 

 all lands, which are unfit for anything else, are 

 planted. The art and taste for plantations are 

 widely extended in England, and promise, in the 

 future, to be a source of great wealth. To grow 

 wheat on wheat lands, and timber on lands not suit- 

 ed for cultivation, and everywhere else to make use 

 of trees as shelter and screens, as well as for orna- 

 mental purposes — to have, in fact, a sufficiency of 

 trees without having too many of them, but to re- 

 spect them and defend them — this is the English 

 system, and a good one. 



A place presented by the English nation to the 

 Duke of Wellington, called Strathfieldsaye, lies in 

 the north of Hampshire. It is one of those stiff, 

 clay soils, so difficult to work. The duke laid out 

 the whole rental upon improvements of all kinds — 

 in draining, marling and farm offices — to little profit. 

 Such an outlay on a less rebellious soil, would have 

 given ten times the result ; but the old soldier per- 

 severed in the struggle, considering it a point of 



Dorset is the next county to Hampshire, follow- 

 ing the coast line. Here the aspect of the country 

 changes. In place of the wooded hills and dales of 

 Hampshire, we find extensive calcareous downs ; 

 bare, without trees or shelter of any kind ; possess- 

 ing a scanty population of about one to three acres, 

 few habitations, few gentlemen's seats, very exten- 

 sive farms ; in point of agricultural wealth, rather 

 inferior to Hampshire ; but having a higher aver- 

 age rent. Most of the country is in pasture. Ag- 

 ricultural occupations are principally the rearing of 

 sheej) for the butcher, and the care of milch 

 cows for the production of butter. Upon this jioor 

 and dried up soil, greatly resembling the Downs of 

 Sussex, any other system of culture would probably 

 fail. Turned to account in this way, the land af- 

 fords an average rent of about five dollars the acre. 



Mr. Huxtable, one of the boldest pioneers of 

 English agriculture, resides in the county of Dorset. 

 This gentleman was one of the first, after the re- 

 peal of the corn-laws, to assert the opinion — which 

 he did in a pamphlet — that, even at low prices, 

 English farmers could retrieve themselves, if they 

 kept up their courage. One can imagine the storm 

 such an assertion raised. ]\Ir. Huxtable was treat- 

 ed as a public enemy, although himself a farmer, as 

 well as rector of the parish of Sutton Waldron. 

 He has two farms, upon which he put his theory to 

 the proof. The one near Sutton Waldron is that 

 upon which the distribution of liquid manure by 

 subterranean pipes was first practiced. The other, 

 containing 280 acres, lies upon a bare, calcareous 

 hill, much exposed, and rising abruptly several 

 hundred feet. It was, at one time, almost in a state 

 of nature, but is now admirably cultivated, and all 

 the new methods of culture are carried out upon it. 



The two remaining Southern counties are moun- 

 tainous, and of granite formation. Devonshire, 

 which comes next to Dorset, is famous for the beau- 

 ty of its scenery, and the mildness of its climate, 

 and it is no less worthy of attention, in an ngricul- 

 tural point of view. 



In no part of England, has irrigation been car- 

 ried to a greater extent than in Devonshire. The 

 streams, which run through granitic soils, are very 

 fertilizing, and the land there lies very favorably for 

 such works. It may be said that there is not a 

 stream in all the county, howcA'er small, which is 

 not collected and turned to account. The new- 

 breed of Devon cattle is justly reckoned one of the 

 handsomest and most pi'oductive in Great Britain. 

 It is below the average size ; but for symmetry and 

 for the excellence of its beef, there is no breed su- 

 perior. The cows do not give much milk ; but the 

 quality of the butter made from it is celel/rated. 

 It is, in fact, butter and cream alone, which the nu- 

 merous dairies of Devonshire supply. The cereal 

 cultivation is very limited ; the soil being more suit- 

 able for green crops. The country is covered with 

 apple trees, from which much cider is made. 



Cornwall is covered with a mass of barren moun- 

 tains. Agriculture holds only the third place 

 among the occupations and resources of the county. 



honor as well as of duty, to be sti'onger than his! Tin and copper mining occupy a considerable por- 

 land. He was much beloved by his tenants and tion of the people, and fishing another portion ; 

 neighbors, who profited by his liberality. He and all that is to be said is, that the effects pro- 

 caused commodious and comfortable cottages to belduced on such farming as there is in Cornwall, by 

 erected for his laborers, with about two perches of i the proximity of these industrial occupations, is 

 garden ground attached to each — renting them at 1 very observable. 



twenty-five cents a week, and taking his pay in We have now travelled through the southern 

 labor. ] counties of England. I think every farmer, who 



