A CLASSIC FARM 135 



yard manure but with 7 cwt. or 8 cwt. per acre of 

 artificial fertilizer ; finally a crop of oats completes the 

 six years' rotation. This course, as will be seen, pro- 

 duces much less saleable material than Mr. Hope's ; it 

 is suited to poorer and less expensive land. But on 

 either system very heavy crops are grown ; the initial 

 cultivation is deep, and the later working of the soil, 

 especially the earthing up, is very thorough ; until by 

 the beginning of August a man stands waist-deep in 

 the vigorous potato haulm. It is no uncommon thing 

 to hear of 30 an acre being given for the standing 

 crop, the buyer taking all risks in addition to the cost 

 of lifting the tubers. Of course, this is by no means 

 clear profit, for, in addition to rent, cultivation, and 

 manure, one or two sprayings have to be done, and a 

 change of seed from some later district has to be 

 brought in every other year or so. There is, however, 

 a margin of profit. The potato is the mainstay of the 

 farming, and without it the high rents could not be 

 paid. Very little stock was kept on the farm, a flying 

 flock was brought in to eat off the turnips, and bullocks 

 were fattened throughout the winter in order to get the 

 straw trampled down ; but both processes were regarded 

 by Mr. Hope as of doubtful profit, to be avoided if 

 only the roots and straw could be otherwise dis- 

 posed of. 



The farm depended on its crops, and finer crops, 

 not only of potatoes but of corn and turnips also, no 

 man could hope to see ; six quarters of wheat and eight 

 quarters of barley to the acre were expected. It is 

 difficult to set down the impression of uniform richness 

 and absence of waste of all kinds, of perfect utilization 

 of the land, which was conveyed by this farm. 

 Indeed, it needs to be farmed to something near 

 perfection in order to earn the rent with which it is 



