HOLDERNESS 117 



surprisingly small proportion of oats is seen. Sheep 

 are not very numerous, as the land is rather too heavy 

 and wet for folding ; what we saw were mostly the 

 heavy Lincolns which come from just over the water. 

 Each of the farms, however, holds a fair proportion 

 of grass land, and this with the temporary pastures 

 was well stocked with cattle, Holderness being very 

 largely a stock-raising country. The cattle are 

 mostly sold as stores, there being little winter fattening, 

 as indeed the rotation indicates, with its scanty allow- 

 ance of roots. 



It will thus be seen that the style of farming 

 adopted is calculated to earn a good deal from 

 the land : two crops out of the three are corn and 

 are sold straightaway, while the breeding cattle do 

 not require very high or expensive feeding, and are 

 to a large extent clear produce of the soil. The cake 

 bills are considerable, but are not on the same plane 

 as those incurred by the man who fattens bullocks ; 

 and though a certain amount of artificial manures 

 are bought, they are not very costly. Superphosphate 

 is the staple manure, though, as might be expected 

 on such strong soils comparatively destitute of lime, 

 basic slag answers very well and its use is extending. 

 Rents were not high, though perhaps above what 

 would be demanded for a similar class of land farther 

 south; they averaged about 303. per acre, and at 

 this rate we were informed that farms were in great 

 demand. Only a few small holders were to be found ; 

 here and there we saw a few acres which had compara- 

 tively recently been planted with fruit, and within 

 reach of Hull a few men have begun to grow produce 

 under glass, for it is a fairly sunny district and coal 

 is cheap. Holderness generally struck us as in the 

 hands of a very capable body of farmers, who, if not 



