1124 STATISTICS OF AGRICULTURE. Part IV. 



live on the best bread, butcher's meat, fowls, and dairy products ; and the greatest of all patrons, both of 

 agriculture and gardening, are such as fare sumptuously every day. 



7760. Amateur ag) iculturists, lovers of agriculture, promote the art by the applause they bestow on its 

 productions ; of which, to a certain extent, they become purchasers, as of farming books, prints of cattle, 

 implements, &c. 



7761. Connoisseurs, critical or skilful lovers of agriculture, promote the art in the same way as the 

 amateur, but much more powerfully, in proportion as approbation founded on knowledge is valued before 

 that which arises chiefly from spontaneous affection. By the purchase of books, models, attendance at 

 agricultural exhibitions, &c., connoisseurs encourage both counsellors and commercial agriculturists. 

 Sometimes, also, by their writings, of which Sir John Sinclair is an eminent example. 



776-2. Employers of agriculturists, whether of the serving class, as bailiffs, stewards, &c., or of the order 

 of professors or artists, are obvious encouragers of the art. 



7763. Amateur farmers are patrons on the same principle as employers ; and sometimes, also, they effect 

 improvements, or communicate valuable information to the public. Cline, the late eminent surgeon, 

 and tlie late physician. Dr. Parry, were eminent examples. 



7761.. Noblemen and proprietor fariners are conspicuous patrons. They render the art fashionable; and 

 by the general attention so directed, and consequent occupation of many minds on the same subject, new 

 ideas are elicited, and dormant talents called forth and employed. The names of Russel, Coke, Curwen, 

 and Somerville stand preeminent among this species of patrons, and many others miglit be added. 



7765. Noble77ien and gentleynen improvers, whether by planting, building, road-making, establishing 

 villages, canals, harbours, &c. are evidently greater patrons of agriculture than noblemen farmers, since 

 their improvements affect society more extensively. As decidedly at the head of this species of patron 

 may be mentioned the late Duke of Bri^ewater and the present Marquess of Stafford, and to these names 

 might he added a number of others. '^ 



Chap. II. 



Different Kinds of Farms in Britain relatively to the different Classes of Society who are 



the Occupiers. 



7166. Cottage farms form the first link in the chain of temporary terrestrial possessions. They consist 

 of one or more acres appended to a cottage, for the purpose of enabling the occupier to keep a cow : if any 

 .part of this farm is in aration, the labour is either hired of some jobbing agriculturist, or done by spade ; 

 or two or more cottagers join together and form a team of their cows, with which, and implements bor- 

 Towed from the village carpenter or smith, they accomplish their labour. 



7767. Farms of working jnechanics. These are larger than the former, and are rented by country black- 

 smiths, carpenters, &c., who often keep a horse or a pair of horses. Both this and the former sort are very 

 often injurious to the occupiers, by drawing off" their attention from their principal source of income ; 

 though it must be confessed at the same time, that the idea of occupying land, and raising one's own corn, 

 clover, milk, butter, eggs, pulse, &c. is highly gratifying; gives a sort of sense of property, and has an air 

 of independence and liberty, highly valued by men in general. 



7768. Farms of village trades?nen and shopkeepers. Many of these men, such as bakers, butchers, 

 grocers, &c. keep a horse at any rate ; by renting a few acres they are able to keep another, and add a 

 cow, and other minor species of live stock. The attention required from the master forms a healthful 

 recreation, and agreeable variety of occupation ; and if this recreation does not interfere with main pur- 

 suits, there is a gain of health and respectability. 



7769. Farms occupied with a view to prqftt by town and city tradesmen. These are on a larger scale 

 than the last, and held by stable-keepers, cow-keepers, butchers, corn-dealers, &c. They are often of 

 considerable size, mostly under grass, and managed by bailiffs. Arable farms in such hands are rarely 

 well managed, as every thing is made to depend on manure ; but as less skill and vigilance is required in 

 managing grass-lands, hay or pasture farms of this description are generally well manured, and conse- 

 quently productive. They are seldom, however, profitable, and it is only because the renter reaps the double 

 profit of grower and consumer, has some enjoyment in the idea of the thing, and some increase of health 

 from the requisite visits to it, that he finds it suitable to continue his farming operations. 



7770. Farms occupied by city tradesmen for recreative enjoyment. These are of various descriptions, 

 and generally managed by bailiffs. They may be considered as affording recompense only by the amuse- 

 ment, exercise, and health which they afford, and the interest in country matters which they excite. 

 Many a worthy man thus throws away, almost at random, on agriculture, what he has gained by trade 

 with the greatest industry and frugality, often joined to skill and ingenuity. When the farm promises 

 well, the tradesman is sometimes tempted to sell his trade and turn farmer for good (as it is called, i. e. 

 for a principal occupation), and often ends in impoverisliing, or even ruining himself 



7771. Farms attached to the villas and country houses of wealthy citizens. On these the wealthy citizen 

 plays at agriculture, aided by a skilful manager or bailiff! Immense sums of money are thus expended in 

 the neighbourhood of large towns ; many ingenious practices are displayed; and though nothing in the 

 way of profit is ever expected to be gained, yet on the whole an attention to agriculture is excited in the 

 minds of wealthy commercialists, who buy books on the subject, procure bailiffs, approved implements and 

 Tareeds of stock ; and thus give encouragement to these and other productions coimected with the subject. 

 The history of farming for the last twenty years round Edinburgh, Liverpool, and London, affbrds some 

 curious, singular, and extravagant examples of this description of farming, and some of a much more 

 judicious description. 



7772. Demesne farms, or such as are occupied by the landed proprietors of the country. These are of 

 a great many different kinds ; some regularly appended to the park ; some comprising a part of the park 

 separated by temporary fences ; and others taken into occupation without regard to situation. Some pro- 

 prietors take all the farms on their estate successively into their own hands, cultivate them for a few years, 

 bring them into excellent order, and then let them to farmers. Much good is often done by proprietors 

 occupying land themselves ; new practices, and new kinds of vegetables and live stock, are exViibited and 

 disseminated ; and the landlord himself, being instructed by experience in the practice of farming, is 

 better able to judge what his land should let for ; and more likely to appreciate good tenants, and sym- 

 pathise with the losses of his farmers in bad seasons. Add also, that a proprietor in this way procures 

 better butcher-meat of every kind than he could generally purchase in the neighbouring markets'; and, if 

 he chooses, better legumes and roots, and even better cabbages and other culinary vegetables than he could 

 grow in his kitchen garden. The bailiffs on such farms are, or ought to be, well educated men, brought up 

 to farming in the best districts. They should be well paid, and have sub-baihffs under them. The establish- 

 ments of Bedford, Coke, Curwen, Albemarle, &c. are or were among the most complete in this kind of 

 farming. 



7773. The farms of professional farmers. It must be obvious, that this class includes more than nine 

 tenths of all the farms in the country. They are of every description of soil, climate, situation, &c. which 

 tlie country affbrds ; of all manner of sizes, according to the demand created by such as follow farming as 

 a business ; and either devoted to the general purposes of corn and cattle, or more particularly for poultry. 



