THE RED SOILS 363 



farmer on his nag, for the Devonshire farmer rides to 

 market instead of driving the usual gig. From the 

 moor we dropped down to Exeter and the warm 

 valleys lying on the red Permian marls and sandstones, 

 that give rise to easy working soils of extraordinary 

 vividness of colour, as cheerful to the eye as they are 

 grateful to farm. 



We visited one of these favoured farms in the Exe 

 Valley, rather larger than usual, being upwards of 

 270 acres, half of which was under the plough. The 

 day was fine, and cutting was in full swing ; some of 

 the wheat had, however, been standing in shock for a 

 fortnight, and showed signs of growing in the ear 

 wherever it had been kept damp by the neighbourhood 

 of a hedge. The fields were of fair size, the fences 

 good, and the whole country had a comfortable, 

 prosperous aspect. The arable land was worked on a 

 five-course rotation of barley, wheat, roots, spring corn, 

 and seeds, our host preferring the unusual course of 

 taking barley before wheat because it enabled him to 

 graze his seeds for a few months longer. We should 

 expect this plan will only answer on lightish land into 

 which the roots work freely and deeply, otherwise we 

 have seen the shallow-rooted barley so deplete the 

 surface soil as to give the wheat a very poor start. 

 Good barley is grown in this district and in the valleys 

 farther south ; indeed, Devon does a small export trade 

 in barley. Wheat also survives, Exeter being a con- 

 siderable milling centre, buying local grain and grading 

 it up with the stronger foreign sorts though in this 

 district there is still grown one of the finest English 

 wheats, Rough Chaff, locally known as Taunton Buff, 

 which is almost strong enough to mill alone. Black 

 Tartar oats are commonly grown, though white oats 

 are also general. As in Cornwall, it is a usual practice 

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