9 DEC.1921 !) 



IV 

 SOMERSET BARLEY GROWING 



OUR road still lay westward through Sherborne and 

 Ilminster across the scarps of the Oolites and Lias 

 formations until, as we approached Taunton, we reached 

 the New Red Sandstone, with the deep lanes and 

 warm -coloured fields we associate with the typical 

 Somerset. All the way it was a rich corn-growing 

 country, and the crops, if not heavy, were evidently 

 over average and standing well on the light kindly 

 soils ; the wheat in particular looked very good and 

 was more of a feature in the agriculture than we had 

 expected. East of Taunton it seemed the leading 

 crop ; to the west barley predominated. From Il- 

 minster westwards small orchards begin to form a 

 feature in the landscape, but they are poor and ill- 

 cultivated, in unpleasing contrast with the good soil 

 and the fine arable farming by which they are sur- 

 rounded. In this rich Taunton Vale we visited one 

 of the most representative farmers, not only of the 

 district, but of southern England generally, known for 

 himself as for his famous Devons and Dorset Horn 

 sheep. The farm is situated on the gently undulating 

 edge of the vale just before it rises into the Brendon 

 Hills and Exmoor ; southward the view is bounded 

 by the long ridge of Blackdown, while across the 

 valley to the north-east stretch the Quantocks, within 



