Farming of South Wales. 



145 



Upper District still many of the implements are made in the 

 most rustic style possible, and the cumbersome, ill-shaped, old 

 plough (sometimes 13 or 14 feet long) continues much in favour, 

 especially for the small wheat ridges. There are very few- 

 waggons ; light carts, drawn by two horses, with moveable frames, 

 Sec, perforin all work. In the flat country there are more 

 thrashing-machines than are usually seen in England, and some 

 are propelled by water. Cultivators, drags, &c„ are here daily 

 becoming more abundant. In many tracts the uneven nature of 

 the ground will not admit of the use of the drill, but on level 

 land all corn is commonly sown broadcast. 



The enclosures are generally small. The banks are from 5 to 8 

 feet high, and with the ditches sometimes occupy from 20 to 30 feet. 

 The banks are made nearly perpendicular, with two shallow ditches, 

 and each side faced with sods. The quicksets are small bushes of 

 hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn, alder, and willow r grubbed up in copses 

 or ditches, trimmed and planted upright on the top of the bank. 

 By the sea coast, and through the red soil and coal tracts, there 

 are some dry stone walls, but more frequently banks of alternate 

 layers of stones and sods. Where exposed to the fierce winds, 

 these and the common sod fences are left without any quickset, 

 but double rows of furzes sown and kept constantly trimmed 

 have been found to grow well in any situation. The high banks 

 are considered to render much service as shelter to the cattle, and 

 there can be no doubt they are a great protection to the young 

 stock, which are fed with hay and lodge under them during the 

 entire winter ; but shelter cannot be required for the ridiculously 

 small, ill-shaped fields that are everywhere met with, having 

 huge banks which occupy nearly one-fourth of the land. Exten- 

 sive fields are not desirable; one from 10 to 15 acres is large 

 enough. A good hedge-row will break the severe gale that sweeps 

 across the country from the sea, and thus protect the young- 

 grasses and winter crops ; and, till the farm-buildings afford more 

 accommodation, the cattle must find shelter from the storm some- 

 where in the open fields. The gates are usually narrow; in 

 woodless tracts the gate-posts are formed of stones. Frequently 

 the opening into fields is stopped up with dry stone walling, or 

 furze and stakes ; and often the gates are rudely constructed with 

 four light poles, the uppermost resting in a mortice cut in the 

 post. 



The wastes of the upland tracts are stocked with small black 

 cattle, mountain sheep, and ponies. They feed to the summit of 

 the highest hills during the summer, but retire to the warm and 

 sheltered spots as the severe weather approaches. Much of the 

 land of South Wales was recently undivided, but in the early part 

 of the present century most extensive enclosures were made, and 



VOL. X. L 



