AGRICULTURE 



before them are driven the allotment holders, building and allotments in 

 certain cases taking what were formerly flock farms ; then the dairy industry 

 again comes in, and where there are many cows sheep are either kept in very 

 small numbers or disappear entirely. Yet prices for Southdowns have risen 

 considerably. In Ellman's day lambs sold at (an average for seven years) 

 about 15-r. each, now they would probably fetch 28*.; draft ewes, i8j. 6</., 

 now 38^. to 45 j. Wool certainly has not improved in price; Ellman's sold 

 from gd. up to 2s. 8</. per Ib. (in 1805, and in this year his fleeces averaged 

 3 lb.), whilst the prices ruling of late have been from i id. to is. 3^., but 

 then it must be remembered that the fleece is heavier. 



Another part of the county deserves special mention, viz. that lying 

 between Shoreham and Chichester, east and west, and between the Downs 

 and the sea, north and south. Here is a stretch of very fertile land growing 

 splendid crops of wheat, oats, and clover. Here the sheep-farming is principally 

 the fattening of the ewe and lamb together, and the production of early lamb. 

 Full-mouth Southdown ewes are bought and put to a Hampshire ram, these 

 are fattened off on the arable land on a ley chiefly composed of white clover ; 

 the ewes lamb down soon after Christmas, and both ewes and lambs are caked 

 so as to bring the lambs into market as soon as possible, and also to finish off 

 the ewe. This is a very forward district, lying as it does on the south side 

 of the Downs, thus getting all the sun, and with a soil practically alluvial 

 deposit crops or stock can be forced in a way not dreamt of either on the 

 Hill or on the side north of the range of Downs. 



In the centre of this district comes Worthing, with its fruit-farming, 

 another most important industry in the county. 



One of the large fruit-growers in Worthing has kindly given us some 

 information on the fruit-industry. 



He writes : 



Worthing is fortunate both in its soil and sunshine, and also from beina; sheltered by 

 the Southdowns. 



We are able to get our produce into market from a. fortnight to three weeks earlier 

 than the grower north of London. 



The abundance of sunshine, however, prevents our keeping grapes on the vines as Ion a; 

 as our London friends, who are enabled through their murky atmosphere to keep their old 

 grapes till April. We, perhaps, by shading our houses might do the same, but most of us 

 make a point of getting the bulk of grapes marketed soon after Christmas, commencing again 

 in May. Cucumbers are sent all the year round. This peculiarity of sunshine and want of 

 sunshine works fairly well, as the London growers cannot compete with us for early stuff, 

 and we cannot compete with them for late. 



I think Mr. George Beer may be considered the pioneer of the industry in Worthing 

 about twenty-eight or thirty years ago. 



At the present time the greenhouses at Worthing, if placed end on end, will reach 

 about forty miles. The length of hot-water pipes about two hundred miles. The super- 

 ficial area of glass would be over four million feet. 



I think that the wages paid by the fruit-growers in Worthing would amount to over 

 50,000 a year ; this could be doubled if we had an outlet for our produce abroad, but the 

 import duties are prohibitive (I don't want to go into politics), but if the foreigner treated 

 us as we treated the foreigner we could afford to double the number of greenhouses, double 

 our wages bill, and to a great extent solve the unemployed question in these parts. 



The principal stuff grown are grapes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. From 

 October to Christmas such of the greenhouses as are empty are utilized for chrysanthemums. 



The bulk of the produce goes to the London markets, but some goes to Manchester, 

 Liverpool, Birmingham, and so far north as Glasgow. The produce is sent on Mondays, 

 Wednesdays, and Fridays; during part of the year every day. 



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