334 NORTH WALES 



without any cross handle, betray the common origin 

 of the peoples. 



The Lleyn peninsula mainly consists of gently 

 undulating uplands, which here and there run up into 

 shapely but not very lofty hills. The soils are mostly 

 light and suited to arable cultivation, and the land 

 is cut up into small enclosures by big grassy banks, 

 though here and there are to be found wide expanses 

 of heath and rough grazing, none of which, however, 

 appear to be grazed in common, but are in the 

 occupation of single farmers. The farms generally 

 run very small ; in the peninsula itself it is estimated 

 that only about 1 7 per cent, of the holdings are above 

 50 acres. Despite this extreme subdivision of the 

 land the demand for small holdings still increases, and 

 the County Council have recently acquired a large 

 estate near the point of the peninsula in order to 

 satisfy this demand. Rents are comparatively high, 

 averaging about 2Os. an acre, and much higher prices 

 are paid for the small farms on the lower land near 

 the sea. Though the holdings are so small, with 

 quite a fair proportion of the land under the plough, 

 the farming almost entirely depends upon the live 

 stock. Practically the whole of the produce of the 

 farm is consumed, and the chief items of sale are 

 milk, butter, two-year-old store cattle, and sheep. Out 

 of the local markets the dealers gather the store beasts, 

 which find their way eastward and are eventually 

 sold to the Midland graziers for fattening, while on 

 the northern side of Carnarvon the markets are well 

 worked by buyers of mutton from Liverpool and 

 Manchester. 



But a small holder can never make much of a 

 living out of live stock alone ; the turnover is too 

 slow and his own labour contributes too slight a share 



