76 THE FENLAND 



lowest prices in the market, the wheat is not attractive, 

 though the miller does not find that it yields flour 

 noticeably below the English average ; while the man- 

 golds prove on analysis to be exceptionally watery 

 and deficient in sugar. 



Fen farming is a case of exploiting the natural 

 resources of the soil without any return being made ; 

 crop after crop is taken and sold away ; even the 

 superphosphate which has so long been used and 

 in such great quantities, only quickens the conversion 

 of the initial stock of soil nitrogen into saleable 

 produce which leaves the land for ever. Slow as the 

 process may be, one cannot live on capital indefin- 

 itely ; and this land will run out, just as the black 

 soils of the middle west of America have begun to 

 show a noticeable decline in fertility. However, long 

 before any complete exhaustion sets in the farmers 

 will find it necessary to resort to recuperating crops 

 like red clover, which fortunately grows well enough : 

 even lucerne will flourish, as we saw on the farm 

 we visited. The level of the land falls with the 

 exhaustion of the black layer, and it may eventually 

 be possible to lead on the turbid waters from the 

 estuary and so build up a new soil by the warping 

 process that we were to see later near the mouth of 

 the Trent. 



But while it lasts the Fen soil is valuable ; nothing 

 else in this country will yield so much for so little 

 expenditure, either in manure or labour. Land is in 

 demand and has a freehold value of 40 to 50 

 an acre, the average rental being 303. to 405. an acre, 

 though the buildings other than the barns are of 

 little account. The size of the farms varies very 

 much ; we heard of none of the vast holdings which 

 prevail on the chalk, and a large number of quite 



