VII 

 DEVON GREENERY 



WE parted with the Cornish farmers with regret. 

 Not only is their style of farming good, exceptionally 

 good for the size of their holdings, but they themselves 

 are exceedingly interesting and pleasant men to talk 

 with, quick and intelligent and with a charming habit 

 of speech, with a curious suggestion of American in 

 some of their intonations. We have other reason to 

 suppose that in the geographical distribution of intellect 

 Cornwall takes a high place, for the county has always 

 been honourably distinguished by the number of 

 evening classes it has been able to maintain among 

 young farmers, and the quality of their work. Oddly 

 enough it was among the gardeners of Gulval that 

 we did hear some of those denunciations of technical 

 education that were common enough among farmers 

 twenty years ago, but which have become rare and 

 even unpopular of late. And yet it was of one of 

 these very West Cornish farmers that an anecdote was 

 told us which illustrated how much even a limited 

 technical instruction might save their pockets. The 

 farmer in question, as a concession to new ideas, applied 

 I o cwt. per acre of superphosphate to one of his fields, 

 with excellent results. Encouraged by this, he in- 

 creased the application to 1 6 cwt. in the following year 

 on the same field, and not unnaturally got little or no 



