SELF-SUPPORTING FARMING 35 



wheat. The steam plough for heavy land is disused. 

 The old proportion, before 1879, of one-third in grass is 

 being rapidly expanded by temporary pastures and 

 laying down of the strong clays. 



Sir Gabriel Goldney seems to have had a fair 

 balance of profit in working a dairy farm absolutely on 

 self-supporting lines, all feeding stuffs and manure being 

 made on the farm. The yards and buildings are con- 

 centrated, and large manure tanks enable the land to be 

 irrigated like water meadows. The farm carries nearly 

 three times as many cows as it did before these methods 

 were adopted, and has paid a high rent. 



Mr Pringle's experience in the South Midlands is that 

 farmers, with fair turnip and barley land with useful 

 grass, " have escaped tolerably well." Where breeding of 

 sheep or cattle has been made a feature, and the heavier 

 land is laid down, and the rotation on mixed soils has 

 been lengthened, agriculture has become more self-sup- 

 porting and independent of the dangers of fluctuation 

 of prices. 



Mr Pringle is probably correct in reporting that besides 

 the graziers and dairymen, the only farmers who have 

 weathered the storm and kept up a show of prosperity, 

 are those who could draw on private means, or had some 

 other paying business in addition to farming, or occupied 

 land near towns and sell vegetables, hay and straw, and 

 who have not put everything into corn growing. But 

 the first two of these classes cannot be said to be 

 making farming pay. 



Mr Ferguson's farm near Perth, where he gets good 

 profits though paying 50s an acre, because he can sell 

 everything off and " drive back manure," and Mr Mercer 

 who can pay a rent of over 40s close to Liverpool, grow- 

 ing wheat, oats, and potatoes and hay, and selling 

 everything off, are good illustrations of the effect of 

 nearness to a large town. 



Mr Worthington, near Wigan, makes a profit by high 

 farming, special scientific feeding of cattle, and the sale 

 of milk. He has absolute freedom as to cultivation and 

 sale of produce. 



